By Keith Idec
For those of us that think we truly understand just how difficult it was for an ambitious premium cable executive and five combative boxing promoters to construct Showtime’s “Super Six World Boxing Classic,” we’re probably underestimating the enormity of the task in a sport beset by agendas, egos, unsavory sanctioning organizations and countless other obstructions.
What Showtime boxing boss Ken Hershman, Lou DiBella, Dan Goossen, Mick Hennessy, Wilfried Sauerland and Gary Shaw have accomplished in producing their six-man super middleweight tournament is nothing short of astounding. Aside from excluding Lucian Bute, who instead committed to fighting on HBO, there is little to complain about after the first two group stages have been completed.
Before Andre Ward dominated Allan Green on Saturday night, the bouts were either competitive or dramatic, all captivating for various reasons. As the third group stage approaches, we should enjoy the unique showcase while we can.
The odds of seeing something similar in another division any time soon seem extremely long. Just ask Shaw, whose pitch for a four-fighter junior welterweight tournament was promptly dismissed by Golden Boy Promotions, which represents Amir Khan and Marcos Maidana, two of the proposed participants.
If anyone can convince six championship-caliber fighters to forget egos, promotional companies and everything else that can prevent great fights from happening, here are six ‘Super’ tournaments we would like to see:
Division: Heavyweight
Preferred participants: Tomasz Adamek (41-1, 27 KOs), David Haye (24-1, 22 KOs), Vitali Klitschko (40-2, 38 KOs), Wladimir Klitschko (54-3, 38 KOs), Samuel Peter (34-3, 27 KOs), Alexander Povetkin (19-0, 14 KOs).
Possible replacements: Cristobal Arreola (28-2, 25 KOs), Ruslan Chagaev (26-1-1, 17 KOs), Nikolai Valuev (50-2, 34 KOs, 1 NC).
Assessing the field: No one could convince the Klitschko brothers to fight each other, which would take one of the top two heavyweights in boxing out of the tournament. … Peter is included just to see the supposedly reinvigorated Nigerian power puncher get another shot at Wladimir Klitschko. … Adamek and Haye might not be big enough or strong enough to defeat huge heavyweights, but matching Haye against Adamek would make for a can’t-miss action fight between former cruiserweight champions.
Division: Light heavyweight
Preferred participants: Joe Calzaghe (46-0, 32 KOs), Tavoris Cloud (20-0, 18 KOs), Chad Dawson (29-0, 17 KOs, 1 NC), Bernard Hopkins (51-5-1, 32 KOs, 1 NC), Glen Johnson (50-13-2, 34 KOs), Jean Pascal (25-1, 16 KOs).
Possible replacements: Zsolt Erdei (31-0, 17 KOs), Kelly Pavlik (36-2, 32 KOs), Antonio Tarver (27-6, 19 KOs).
Assessing the field: They could pair the older fighters, Hopkins and Johnson, in a first-round rematch and give Calzaghe whatever’s perceived to be the easiest first-round fight to shed some retirement rust. … Hopkins could be tested later in the tournament by talented yet different young light heavyweights. … Hopkins would be pushing 47 by the time the tournament ended, one of numerous reasons the future Hall-of-Famer wouldn’t consider this format. … Dawson could encounter a variety of young and old opponents to try to truly establish himself as the best 175-pound boxer in the world.
Division: Junior middleweight
Preferred participants: Alfredo Angulo (18-1, 15 KOs), Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28 KOs), James Kirkland (25-0, 22 KOs), Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs, 1 NC), Sergio Martinez (44-2-2, 24 KOs), Paul Williams (38-1, 27 KOs).
Possible replacements: Joachim Alcine (30-1, 19 KOs), Kermit Cintron (32-2, 28 KOs), Yuri Foreman (28-1, 8 KOs, 1 NC).
Assessing the field: Margarito would prefer to fight at 154 pounds. Cotto would be better served in a welterweight tournament, but if Cotto competing seven pounds higher is what it takes to make the Margarito rematch, so be it. … Angulo-Cotto would be an extremely entertaining fight, as would Angulo-Kirkland, a fight we would’ve been building toward had Kirkland not gone to jail. … Who doesn’t want to see Martinez-Williams II?
Division: Welterweight
Preferred participants: Andre Berto (26-0, 20 KOs), Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28 KOs), Floyd Mayweather Jr. (41-0, 25 KOs), Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs), Shane Mosley (46-6, 39 KOs, 1 NC), Paul Williams (38-1, 27 KOs).
Possible replacements: Joshua Clottey (35-4, 20 KOs, 1 NC), Luis Collazo (30-4, 15 KOs), Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs, 1 NC).
Assessing the field: Berto would finally face an elite welterweight. … Mayweather-Williams would be a fascinating fight, one we well know will never be made outside the realm of fantasy tournaments. … A Cotto-Mosley rematch would be every bit as competitive as their first fight at these respective stages of their careers. … The Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown would be scheduled — no questions asked, no nonsense. We can dream, can’t we?
Division: Junior welterweight
Preferred participants: Devon Alexander (19-0, 12 KOs), Timothy Bradley (25-0, 11 KOs, 1 NC), Amir Khan (23-1, 17 KOs), Marcos Maidana (28-1, 27 KOs), Juan Manuel Marquez (50-5, 37 KOs), Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs).
Possible replacements: Zab Judah (38-6, 26 KOs, 2 NC), Andreas Kotelnik (31-3-1, 13 KOs), Paulie Malignaggi (27-4, 5 KOs).
Assessing the field: There’s not a single first-round match to make from among this group that wouldn’t be well worth watching. … Khan would be tested either by someone who can punch or by a very skilled, legitimate junior welterweight. … Maidana’s punching power would make any of his fights in this tournament must-see TV. … You couldn’t make many better fights than Pacquiao-Marquez III.
Division: Featherweight
Preferred participants: Celestino Caballero (34-2, 23 KOs), Yuriokis Gamboa (18-0, 15 KOs), Chris John (43-0-2, 22 KOs), Juan Manuel Lopez (28-0, 25 KOs), Rafael Marquez (39-5, 35 KOs), Daniel Ponce De Leon (39-2, 32 KOs).
Possible replacements: Cristobal Cruz (39-12-2, 23 KOs), Steven Lueveno (37-2-1, 15 KOs), Orlando Salido (34-10-2, 22 KOs).
Assessing the field: This group of young power punchers and highly skilled, versatile veterans would make for some fantastic fights. … Caballero-Gamboa, Caballero-Lopez and Lopez-Gamboa would all be explosive, pick ‘em matchups. … This might be the only way Caballero gets any of his featherweight contemporaries to get in the ring with him. … Marquez might not have a lot left, but his huge heart would make fights against younger, strong opponents competitive for however long those bouts lasted.
Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com.