By Jake Donovan

Good things come to those wait. Fortunately for boxing's power brokers, its fan base largely consists of the most patient cats on the planet.

Realizing an unlikely return to the old days, when a major fight was always front page news (or at least back pages for those outlets whose sports sections begin in the rear), the boxing fraternity has instead grown accustomed to the traditions of recent years.

The best example of boxing tradition can be found on Showtime, who adopted the "Great Fights, No Rights" policy in 2004, which resulted in a new edition of Showtime Championship Boxing being brought to our living rooms like clockwork on the first Saturday of every month. More often than not, the series has been preceded the night before by an installment from their highly-acclaimed ShoBox: The New Generation series. The SCB package is also always a lock for a fantastic card on the eve of the Super Bowl.

So much for tradition, at least through the first few weeks of 2008.

The year started out with good intentions. Showtime offered their first SCB telecast of 2008 on January 5, with Paul Malignaggi's close call against Herman Ngoudjo. The show was preceded the night before by the Peterson brothers – Anthony and Lamont – returning to the ShoBox circuit and looking fantastic as usual in separate bouts. Another installment of ShoBox airs this Friday, to help officially kick off Super Bowl weekend.

So far, so good, right? Unfortunately, it's where tradition ends.

Super Bowl weekend will be limited to Friday night as far as live televised boxing action is concerned. The original game plan was to present heavyweight action, as Samuel Peter was due to get his long awaited shot at the alphabet strap Oleg Maskaev has held hostage since winning it in August 2006. Only, the oft-postponed contest found itself without a home, and unable to secure a venue to coincide with Showtime's schedule.

The bout was once again postponed, this time changing dates (February 2 to March 8), locations (New York to Cancun, Mexico) and networks (Showtime to HBO), forcing Showtime to go dark this weekend, thus ending a four-year tradition of a big fight serving as a prelude to the NFL's season finale.

But no successful company remains in business without having a back-up plan. It's here where Showtime not only compensates, but winds up coming out ahead.

"We originally had February 2 reserved for the Maskaev-Peter bout, but logistics prevented us from being able to proceed as planned," said Ken Hershman, Showtime senior vice president and general manager of sports and event programming. "Promoter Don King was unable to secure a venue on a date that would accommodate our schedule, so he was forced to take the fight elsewhere, while we were forced to come up with a contingency plan."

Plan B comes in the form of a special edition of Showtime Championship Boxing this weekend, also serving as a glimpse ahead to three fantastic shows Showtime has in store in the next couple of months. The network will rebroadcast the memorable two-fight series between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez, packaged as a doubleheader (Saturday, 11PM ET/PT), in efforts to build anticipation for their rubber match, scheduled for March 1 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, the site of their first encounter. 

There's so much to appreciate in the two-fight (and counting) series between Vazquez and Marquez. Both evenings left fans buzzing that they had just witnessed Fight of the Year candidates, with the winner earning top honors by just about every major boxing media outlet (including BoxingScene.com).

The linear super bantamweight title changed hands on both occasions, with Marquez wresting the crown from Vazquez in his 122 lb. debut, and Vazquez violently snatching back his crown five months later. The division's top prize is once again on the line in their March bout, as opposed to having the pair fight at a make-believe weight class (otherwise known as catchweight) with little more than bragging rights at stake.

And best of all, none of the three bouts were forced to go the Pay-Per-View route.

"That we've been able to offer all three bouts with our regular Showtime subscription reinforces our commitment to our fans," Hershman proudly proclaims. "In this series, which I believe once the third fight is complete will rank among the greatest trilogies in boxing history, you have two of the sport's best pound-for-pound fighters, also two of the biggest punchers, going at it, leaving it all in the ring. We have no question that the third fight will be just as tremendous, and take great pride in being able to present all three bouts on Showtime Championship Boxing."

While waiting an extra month for a major fight may not be ideal, Showtime's upcoming schedule more than atones for the gap. If anything, it exceeds the original plan.

"We were fortunate to turn a negative into a positive, even with not offering boxing in February," insists Hershman. "With the Maskaev-Peter bout falling from our schedule, it actually freed up money in our budget, which allowed us to pursue another terrific match up on a date we wouldn't normally air boxing."

That would be March 8, which ironically is the date when Maskaev-Peter will finally air (barring yet another postponement), courtesy of HBO. Showtime travels to London, England, where it will host the World Cruiserweight championship showdown between linear champion David Haye and alphabet titlist Enzo Maccarrinelli.

"It's a great fight," exclaims Hershman. "It's a unification bout with three (alphabet) titles on the line, and one of the most exciting bouts around. We're thrilled to play host to such a great fight, and also that it follows another exciting night of boxing with the Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez rubber match."

One month later, Showtime once again deviates from the script. April 5 will not feature any boxing – at least not on America's #1 Fight Network. "The first weekend in April is the (NCAA college basketball) Final Four, so we pushed back our schedule one week for the benefit of our subscribers, who now won't have to choose between boxing and college basketball. We still remain committed to our promise of offering fights on the first Saturday of every month, but also have to remain opportunistic, in this case pushing back the date one week."

In past years, the network has aired boxing on the weekend, just at a later time (11PM ET/PT, rather than the traditional 9PM start time) so as to not conflict with the NCAA tournament. This year, they instead come in strong one week later with a terrific doubleheader airing live from Tampa, Florida.

The night of light heavyweights serves as a terrific starting point to bring about much needed clarity in a division stuck that for years has been stuck in the past. Chad Dawson, one of Showtime's favorite sons, squares off against long time divisional player Glen Johnson, with the winner hoping for a showdown against the victor of the second leg of the doubleheader between Antonio Tarver and Clinton Woods.

Three dates, four pick-'em bouts, all within a six-week span. And the best part, none of which land on pay-per-view, though one or two may come along that warrant a premium price tag.

"Pay-per-view will always be there; it's an effective tool when used properly," says Hershman. "But our commitment to excellence is centered around the needs of our subscribers, which is not limited to boxing, but also with our Elite XC mixed martial arts series as well. Our goal has always been to provide the best available fights, and for such events to come with your standard monthly subscription. We take great pride in our "Great Fights, No Rights" policy. Our revised schedule through April is a reflection of that."

The schedule, including the January 5 event, includes four booked dates involving three different lead promoters –DiBella Entertainment, Frank Warren's Sports Network and Gary Shaw Productions. The greatest accusation levied against Showtime in recent years has been favoritism toward one promoter (Shaw), to the point of freezing out the rest of the market.

Hershman hopes to once and for all put to rest the ugly rumor that Showtime is on the verge of becoming Shawtime.

"Our goal has always been to present the best fights possible. Gary Shaw has been a great supplier to our network, including all three Vazquez-Marquez bouts. We don't deny, nor are we embarrassed by, the close relationship our companies enjoy with one another. But he is not and has never been our sole provider.

"There are plenty of other promoters that we do business with, with our focus on airing the best fights that can be made, not just what one promoter can offer. The facts speak for itself."

Much like the A-list schedule we can look forward to in the next few months on Showtime.

ENOUGH TO TIDE YOU OVER THIS WEEKEND

Just because there's no major televised boxing action this Saturday night, doesn't mean the whole weekend is lost. If there's one tradition that remains a constant, it's that the first Friday of the month leaves you plenty from which to choose.

ESPN2's Friday Night Fights returns after a one-week absence, with fringe featherweight contender Monte Meza-Clay squaring off against former titlist Eric Aiken in their main event, to air live from Monroeville, PA. The co-feature offers unbeaten but untested welterweight Brian Camechis, who faces potential spoiler Doel Carasquillo.

It's not one of their better telecasts in recent memory, an ironic twist considering the telecast will be without color commentator Teddy Atlas. The outspoken announcer and former trainer is benched as a result of his one-week suspension which has been well documented by BoxingScene.com head honcho Rick Reeno.

Sadly, the proposed Telefutura card, which airs live from Juncos, Puerto Rico (Friday 8PM ET), doesn't appear to be any more promising, with junior welterweight journeyman Henry Bruseles appearing on the A-side of the main event, as the Puerto Rican faces late substitute Robert Frankel. Promising featherweight prospect Mario Santiago appears in the co-feature, as he meets hard-hitting, though otherwise limited, Edel Ruiz. Both bouts are scheduled for ten rounds or less.

The best of the three cards this Friday, fittingly enough (considering the article's theme) belongs to Showtime (Friday, 11PM ET/PT), as they offer a superb doubleheader in their latest installment of ShoBox. Highly touted undefeated prospect Alfred Angulo, fresh off of a 1st round knockout of Archak Termeliksetian, makes his third straight ShoBox appearance, as he meets hard-hitting once-beaten Ricardo Cortes in a matchup of hard-hitting, free swinging Mexican welterweights.

Two more welterweights appear in the co-feature, as former amateur star Mickey Bey Jr., who made a huge splash in his ShoBox debut last October, returns to the series as he faces southpaw Cleotis Pendarvis in their scheduled eight-rounder.

For those in search of Saturday boxing, there's a pair of overseas prospects headlining separate cards on the other side of the pond. Undefeated middleweight prospect Andy Lee fights in his native Ireland for the second time in less than two months, as he meets Alejandro Falliga in their ten-round main event, while England plays host to one of the sport's brightest prospects as Amir Khan takes on his toughest challenge to date when he meets Gairy St. Clair.

Last but not least, a super flyweight bout with major implications headlines a full night of action in Cebu City, Philipines. Former flyweight titlist Vic Darchinyan heads to the homeland of his former conqueror, Nonito Donaire, as he takes on Z Gorres in a 12-round main event.

Much like Showtime's upcoming schedule, there's plenty of boxing to take in, just not in the usual locations.

NEWS AND NOTES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ROPES

- Incase you didn't yet get the memo, the rubber match between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez will be held at the Home Depot Center, in Carson, CA, the same venue that hosted their first bout. It's old news, reported at least three weeks ago, and has already been mentioned in this article, yet still serves as breaking news on other sites, so perhaps it warranted repeating. Hopefully everyone is well aware of the venue by now, as well as the fact that tickets have been on sale since last week.

- You saw it coming a mile away, but Proposition Joe getting got in last Sunday's episode of The Wire still remains a bitter pill to swallow. That said, the past episode was one of the best episodes in the history of the show, a major statement considering even the worst of the 54 (and counting) episodes rates no lower than a 9 out of 10 among most critics.

- Five more days until the New York (football) Giants simultaneously make and ruin history in upsetting the presently unbeaten New England Patriots. In addition to winning ten straight road games in making it to the big dance, should the Giants win they will have done so by avenging three regular season losses, all against opponents heavily favored to repeat.

- Speaking of ticket sales, Top Rank is reporting "very, very strong" box office activity for "The Epic Continues" the February 16 rematch between Kelly Pavlik and Jermain Taylor, to air live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV on PPV. The first bout was an instant classic, with Pavlik dropped and nearly knocked out in the 2nd round before coming back strong to stop Taylor in the 7th round, lifting the middleweight crown in the process.

The rematch will be fought at a catchweight of 166 lb., which means win, lose or draw, Pavlik leaves as middleweight champ. Whether or not he is still undefeated for his proposed first defense June 7 against John Duddy is another matter.

Jake Donovan is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Tennessee Boxing Advisory Board. His feature column runs every Tuesday, and his Prospect of the Week series runs every Thursday. Jake is also BoxingScene's official Telefutura correspondent.

Please feel free to submit any comments or questions to Jake at JakeNDaBox@gmail.com .