By Jake Donovan
 
In a weekend that boasts quality over quantity, the sport had a great chance to make a major statement. They blew it big time.

There have been many occasions where either HBO or Showtime completely missed the ball in not signing a fight to air on their network. More often than not, however, one will pick up what the other passed on.

It’s usually Showtime picking up the slack for HBO, whether it’s going outside of the prospect template to air a major bout on its Shobox series, or an event like next weekend, when unbeaten super middleweight titlist Carl Froch travels to America to defend his alphabet belt against Jermain Taylor.

Rare is the occasion when both networks pass on a fight well worthy of airtime, and where both sides appeal to their general viewing audience.

This weekend becomes the exception to the rule, when Top Rank is forced to once again go the pay-per-view bout to ensure that stateside boxing fans have the opportunity to see top flyweight Nonito Donaire take on undefeated rising contender Raul Martinez in Manila, Philippines (Saturday, Top Rank PPV, 9PM ET/Sunday 9AM local time).

When HBO or Showtime (or in this case, both networks) opts to pass on a fan-friendly fight such as the aforementioned, there’s generally a good reason behind it from a business perspective. What fans claim to want doesn’t always translate into favorable ratings. Or perhaps neither side particularly appeals to the American viewing audience.

None of those excuses ring true for this fight. Showtime fans are well aware of who Nonito Donaire is by now. Eight months after making his American television debut on ESPN2, Donaire (20-1, 13KO) headlined a Shobox card, outpointing then-fellow prospect Kahren Harutyunyan.

It would be another 18 months before the Filipino flyweight would make his way back to America’s #1 Boxing Network, but it turned out to be well worth the fight. Entering his July ’07 bout with then-unbeaten Vic Darchinyan as a 7-1 underdog, Donaire turned the boxing world upside down with a stunning 5th round knockout to claim a flyweight title as well as awarded Knockout and Upset of the Year amongst many major websites and publications.

He would squeeze in one more televised fight before having year-end honors bestowed upon him, dominating Luis Maldonando before stopping him in eight one-sided rounds in December 2007.

The fight was his last with promoter Gary Shaw, and perhaps no small coincidence, his last on Showtime. He’s since resurfaced with Top Rank Inc after riding out a lawsuit, one that resulted in an 11-month layoff. He’s only had one fight in the past 16 months, a 6th round stoppage of Moruti Mthalane in a co-feature slot on a Top Rank PPV last November.

What he would learn along the way was a painful lesson in the cruel politics that often provide more harm than good to the sport. While he was on the sidelines, he was forced to watch Darchinyan not only come back, but enjoy a Fighter-of-the-Year worthy campaign in 2008, collecting three belts at junior bantamweight, including two straight headliners on Showtime.

Darchinyan is slated for yet another Showtime appearance as he moves up to bantamweight to take on Joseph Agbeko this summer, just over two years since suffering the only loss of his career.

Meanwhile, Donaire is forced to go the independent pay-per-view route for a second straight fight. Standing in the other corner is one of the sport’s rising young stars in Raul Martinez (24-0, 14KO).

A two-time national amateur champion, Martinez has generated major buzz from the moment he turned pro in 2004. Regular televised appearances have come throughout his young career, beginning with his 1st round knockout of Miguel “Makito” Martinez on Telefutura after just 16 months as a pro.

The fight that put him on the map was his 8th round knockout of Andres Ledesma in January 2006. The Showtime-televised bout was intended as a primer for the evening’s main event, which featured then-undefeated knockout artist Joel Julio. Martinez and Ledesma not only warmed up the crowd but wound up stealing the show.

Martinez scored two early knockdowns, but was forced to contend with a deep gash over his right eye that was a threat to end the fight. The thought of suffering his first loss drove him to close the show, which he did midway through the eighth and final round in an all-out war.

His quality of opposition leveled off after that, though he became a regular on the Telefutura Solo Boxeo circuit. What was also occurring far too frequently were his fights going the distance. After racing out to 12 knockouts in 16 fights, six of his next seven would go to the scorecards, including three straight in 2008.

Martinez would literally end the year with a bang, blasting out Victor Proa in just over a minute in a Telefutura-televised bout between undefeated contenders. The fight was just what the doctor ordered; Martinez came out purposeful from the opening bell, landing an early overhand right that would permanently swing momentum in his favor. It was left hook city from there, including a fight-ending right hand, left hook combo that left Proa suspended in mid-air before being rescued by the referee.

It was clear that Martinez was ready for prime time. The mid-level competition he faced through the years merely added wins to his ledger, but did little to light a fire under him. The threat of losing his contender status against an undefeated fighter such as Proa served as the proper motivator to unearth the free-swinging banger boxing fans came to know and love on the way up.

The only question remaining was where he would finally land. Through five years as a pro, he has bounced around between super flyweight and bantamweight and is presently ranked by many major publications in their 115 lb. rankings. But with his ability to make a lighter weight and willingness to play ball with his promoter Top Rank, he lands a coveted title shot against one of the very best in the game in Nonito Donaire.

Both sides were eager to take a huge risk; all that was asked was a decent enough reward in return.

What they instead get is snubbed by American television.

HBO has never made it a point to showcase fighters below 122 lb. unless politically motivated. Showtime has been far more receptive to the lower weight classes, but lacked room – and perhaps the budget – to fit it into its April schedule.

Four fight cards will be aired by the network this month, two each on its Shobox and Championship Boxing series. All feature the common thread of airing within North American borders, considerably closer to home than having to travel to the Philippines for a flyweight title fight.

As American boxers and boxing networks continue to take the world out of world champions, the fans continue to feel the pain. Standards have risen across the board in 2009, but this card certainly fits the bill.

In addition to a superb main event comes a solid co-feature between ubiquitous junior flyweight titlist Ulises "Archie" Solis and 2000 US Olympian and former titlist Brian Viloria. Even disregarding the rest of the show, the card measures up well against most others to have aired on a premium network in 2009.

Instead, boxing fans are given the consolation prize of the pay-per-view telecast “only” costing $24.95 to order. While the show is worth the price of admission, it would’ve been worth any network’s time to show their true willingness to take the sport in a new direction.
 
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com and a voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Contact Jake at JakeNDaBox@gmail.com .