By Lee Groves

It was another busy weekend in boxing – as well as a full slate of thoughts racing through my brain. As usual, they were wide-ranging and sometimes a bit off-kilter but hopefully they will be enlightening and entertaining.

So without further delay, here’s a fresh batch of contemplative cogitations.

* It turns out that the reports of a possible third Holyfield-Tyson fight weren’t rooted in reality, and for that I am thankful.

But my relief was greatly tempered by the tidal wave of excitement this story sparked in the “mainstream media.” The sad reality is that the possibility of a 43-year-old Tyson and a 47-year-old Holyfield pulling on the gloves again would ignite a tidal wave of publicity that would be akin to Pacquiao-Mayweather, simply because both men are so well known to the general public.

Michael Wilbon of ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” was correct when he said that boxing became less important once it was removed from free TV. This vital platform allowed Tyson and Holyfield to build the foundations of their legends, and it helped their cause that their exploits were achieved in a far less diverse TV universe than the one we enjoy today.

HBO was only starting to hit its stride in terms of visibility and impact on boxing, pay-per-view was reserved only for the highest level matches and basic cable outlets were seasonings for the soup rather than the meat for today’s chili.

The regular weekend boxing shows aired by ABC, NBC and CBS served not only as a launching pad for future stars but as outlets for champions and contenders too big for basic cable but too small for premium cable and PPV.

Tyson and Holyfield benefited greatly from the networks’ star-making capacity and the imprint they created through that medium was evidenced this past week. It helped create memories so seismic that those in major media outlets picked up the story and ran with it without first checking to see if it was true.

The point is that they wanted it to be true, not only because they figured it would generate readership and ratings but also because the circus-like scenario fit their negative template of boxing as a whole.

It also is proof of just how far boxing’s standing has suffered without access to free TV. Had Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey “grown up” on free TV, the geriatric spectacle of Holyfield-Tyson III wouldn’t have generated nearly as much impact. After all, why focus on yesterday’s stars when the stars of today are more than sufficient?

Because this era’s broadcast structure is so out of whack, casual sports fans – at least those few who still care about boxing – are looking back instead of forward. It is why Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones – a rematch 17 years in the making and eight years past its best window of opportunity – will create more than its share of buzz in a few weeks’ time.

Pacquiao-Clottey and Mayweather-Mosley will fuel reams of copy and advertisements in the next couple of months but any success they achieve will be in spite of boxing’s current media structure – not because of it.

* One of the symptoms of boxing’s TV disease occurred Saturday night when FIVE boxing shows aired simultaneously between 9 and 11 p.m.

Now I’m all for saturation coverage of boxing but isn’t this a tad extreme? Wouldn’t it have been nice to have a couple of them air on the free networks during the afternoon instead of jamming all of them in prime time, dividing the audience and watering down the ratings?

Thankfully HBO’s card topped by Devon Alexander-Juan Urango and Showtime’s showing of Vic Darchinyan and Rodrigo Guerrero provided repeat showings but the cards aired by Argentina’s TyC channel, Fox Sports Espanol and TV Azteca were one-and-done propositions.

Without a sufficient number of recorders and receivers to accommodate them all, I had to forego one show. Sorry TV Azteca, maybe next time. Except I hope there isn’t a next time, at least as far as scheduling snafus such as these.

* Speaking of things that don’t make sense, why would the NABO sanction a youth title fight between 22-year-old Rico Ramos and 31-year-old Cecilio Santos when Santos was eight years past the age limit?

Maybe it’s just me, but shouldn’t both participants be eligible to win a given belt?

At first I thought the belt wasn’t on the line given that both weighed over the classic junior featherweight limit. However, when Jimmy Lennon Jr. announced Ramos as the “winner and still champion,” that told me that the belt indeed was on the line and that the potential for absurdity had been ever present.

While the youngster got the expected knockout victory how embarrassing would it have been for the NABO had Santos pulled off the upset?

What would they have said to Santos? “Sorry, but we can’t give you the belt you just won because you’re too old?”

I’ve seen stuff like this happen during the “American Idol” auditions but not inside the squared circle. Had this happened, I wonder if Santos would have given those officials a piece of his mind – or perhaps a sample of his left hook?

One would think that the purpose behind these “youth” belts is to encourage young stars to fight each other. Unfortunately, it appears that the managers behind those stars are still unwilling to invite that kind of risk.

Also, the sanctioning body should be faulted by authorizing an event that could have turned into a farcical situation.

In the end, two of the three parties got what they wanted. Ramos got an impressive TV win by way of a savage hook to the body and the NABO got its sanctioning fee. As for Santos, I hope he was paid for his trouble.

* How easy must it have looked for Mike Dallas Jr. to go up against Fabian Luque – who entered the night a victim of three straight TKOs – after spending several weeks as one of Manny Pacquiao’s sparring partners?

“The Silent Assassin” lived up to the moniker as he scored a first round TKO, but the way he went about it was revealing.

The good: After landing a right uppercut, Dallas skillfully pivoted into position to unleash two more rights that sent Luque to the floor. He also smartly attacked Luque’s fleshy middle.

The not-so-good: Dallas, who looked to have more of a height advantage than the one-inch listed on Boxrec, didn’t use his long jab to set up his power shots.

Perhaps his time with the southpaw Pacquiao inhibited the use of his jab in preparation for this fight, for it is far more difficult for right-handers to land the jab against lefties. Muscle memory is, after all, muscle memory.

In any case it was a good performance for the unbeaten Dallas, for he fulfilled the expectations the circumstances dictated.

By the way, Dallas is the true all-or-nothing fighter. All three of his knockouts have come in the first round while each of his other wins were by decision.

* In defeating previously unbeaten Wilton Hilario, Martin Honorio appeared to dip into the playbook of one of my favorite fighters – Manuel Medina.

Like the many-time featherweight titlist, Honorio employed constant movement in both directions, more than held his own on the inside and threw what seemed to be a million punches. Medina used that formula to exploit the weaknesses of numerous single-dimensional sluggers, but Honorio added to it by scoring a pair of sixth round knockdowns.

Hilario had never previously gone more than eight rounds and his management took a calculated risk in putting him in a 12 rounder.

Perhaps they figured that Hilario’s freshness would overcome Honorio’s experience but Honorio proved that a car with a few dings (scar tissue, four losses and a draw on his record) can outrun a freshly minted vehicle with an untested engine.

Hilario might have made more progress had he launched a committed body attack against the taller, thinner man. It is a strategy that requires patience, but one that could have paid big dividends over the long haul.

* Congratulations to Devon Alexander, who stepped up in a big way by stopping Juan Urango in eight rounds to add the IBF belt to his WBC 140 lb. honors.

For Alexander this was a crucial litmus test to establish his place among the 140-pound elite. Alexander showed his usual hand speed and movement but he amplified it with improved accuracy and a beautifully timed right uppercut that shoved Urango toward titular extinction.

Moreover, Alexander produced his fireworks just when it appeared Urango was turning the fight with his vaunted body shots. Once he had the Colombian hurt he finished the job with worthy dispatch.

I had picked Urango to pull the upset and I laid out the reasons why last week. Had I been presented the same set of circumstances I still would have made the same choice, but, as I said then, boxing writers are hardly infallible.

The best we can do is to use logic and information to back up our choices and then let the fighters settle the issue inside the ropes. Good for Alexander for proving me wrong.

Alexander performed as an ambitious fighter should and by knocking out the previously unstopped Urango he put forth a powerful statement.

The two-belt champion is now a major force in the division, whose titlists rate among the deepest in boxing and whose contenders (which include interim champ Marcos Maidana, Paul Malignaggi, Victor Ortiz and Mike Alvarado among others) are even more so.

How wonderful would it be if Alexander lived up to his nickname – “The Great” – by meeting and beating fellow champs Amir Khan and Timothy Bradley? I don’t know who would win those fights but if boxing is to mount a charge toward increased relevance it needs to match the best against the best on a consistent basis.

The “Super Six” is doing just that on Showtime. In the spirit of March Madness how about doing a “Final Four” on HBO?

* Fighters suffer all sorts of injuries during combat but I haven’t heard of the one Vic Darchinyan had in his points win over Rodrigo Guerrero – knuckles scraped raw by pounding on an opponent’s head.

“His left knuckles are all worn,” Darchinyan trainer, Angelo Hyder told the Sydney Morning Herald. “It's like he’s been punching a punching bag with no gloves on … never in boxing have I seen anyone wear the skin off their knuckles from hitting someone so much.”

The 34-year-old Darchinyan continues to excel in the 115-pound class at an age when most men in his weight class are either badly eroded or long retired.

His unusual style continues to confound opponents and his attitude remains as pugnacious as ever. He thirsts for an opportunity to avenge his only loss to Nonito Donaire, but before that happens many hard feelings on both sides must be overcome.

What better way to deal with those than to settle it in the ring?

That’s all I’ve got folks; I’m all tapped out. But there’s always next week, and I can hardly wait to see what happens when Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey clash before tens of thousands of fans at Cowboy Stadium.

My pick – and the reasons behind it – will be posted later this week.

E-mail Lee Groves at lgroves@hughes.net