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As 2006 comes to a virtual close with the Dec. 2 fights on HBO and Showtime and the Taylor-Ouma fight the week after, let's peek ahead at what could be a banner year for boxing.
First, here's a list of top fighters expected to be in action early in 2007:
Jan. 6: Peter-Toney II (Showtime)*
Jan. 20: Hatton-Urango and Castillo-Ngoudjo (HBO WCB)*
Jan. 27: Valuev-Chagaev
Jan./Feb.: Mora-Vargas (?)
Feb. 24: Mosley-TBA (possibly Kermit Cintron) (HBO PPV?)
Feb./March: Calzaghe-Manfredo (HBO, heavily rumored)
Feb./March: Tarver-TBA
March: Pacquiao-TBA (possibly Valero) (Top Rank)
March/April: W.Klitschko-Maskaev, unification (HBO)
April/May: Margarito-P.Williams (perhaps Showtime's April or May main event)
April/May: Abraham-Miranda II
(* confirmed)
After that nice start to the year, we'll have this to look forward to:
May 5, 2007: De La Hoya-Mayweather (HBO PPV)*
late May/early June: Hatton-Castillo (HBO PPV)
June-July: Calzaghe-Taylor (HBO PPV)
July-August: Pacquaio-Barrera II (HBO PPV)
September 2007: De La Hoya-TBA (Winky?) (HBO PPV)
(* confirmed)
That, folks, covers just HALF of the coming year! It already looks very, very nice for boxing, and for HBO PPV in particular. DLH-PBF will do 1 million plus, Hatton-Castillo would do incredible internationally because of England and Mexico (domestically, maybe 350k?), Calzaghe-Taylor (if both stay undefeated) could do 500k if promoted well enough, Pac-MAB II will do at least 400k and another DLH fight almost guarantees 800k plus buys.
There are numerous other possibilities. What will Winky do after the Quartey fight? Taylor seems to be going up for the Calzaghe fight, leaving Winky to fight perhaps the Abraham-Miranda II winner, but surely he would have a fight before that. Wladdy and Oleg are talking unification, but where do Briggs and Valuev go from here? Valuev may or may not fight mandatory Chagaev in January, but after that, since Don King has control over both, they should fight each other in the summer of 2007, right? How great would it be to have just TWO champions left by August 2007, setting up a heavyweight megafight for winter 2007.
Also, DLH says Mayweather won't be his last fight, so that means another DLH fight in 2007 (perhaps), on DLH's second favorite PPV date, Mexican Independence Day in September. Even if he loses to PBF, who wouldn't want to see DLH-Winky at 154? That solves Winky's problem for finding a megafight in 2007, and it makes sense because of Winky Promotions' alliance with Golden Boy and, by proxy, HBO.
Other questions loom. Where will Corrales go from here? Is Morales done? Does Hopkins come out of a brief retirement? If Lacy looks impressive against Tyspko, will he get the Tarver fight or anything of significance? Are we going to hear from Mayorga? What prospect (Berto, Dawson, the Petersons, Julio, et al) will make the biggest leap? Will the Prince finally return?!? (just kidding). 2007 is going to be awesome.
(What did I forget?)
First, here's a list of top fighters expected to be in action early in 2007:
Jan. 6: Peter-Toney II (Showtime)*
Jan. 20: Hatton-Urango and Castillo-Ngoudjo (HBO WCB)*
Jan. 27: Valuev-Chagaev
Jan./Feb.: Mora-Vargas (?)
Feb. 24: Mosley-TBA (possibly Kermit Cintron) (HBO PPV?)
Feb./March: Calzaghe-Manfredo (HBO, heavily rumored)
Feb./March: Tarver-TBA
March: Pacquiao-TBA (possibly Valero) (Top Rank)
March/April: W.Klitschko-Maskaev, unification (HBO)
April/May: Margarito-P.Williams (perhaps Showtime's April or May main event)
April/May: Abraham-Miranda II
(* confirmed)
After that nice start to the year, we'll have this to look forward to:
May 5, 2007: De La Hoya-Mayweather (HBO PPV)*
late May/early June: Hatton-Castillo (HBO PPV)
June-July: Calzaghe-Taylor (HBO PPV)
July-August: Pacquaio-Barrera II (HBO PPV)
September 2007: De La Hoya-TBA (Winky?) (HBO PPV)
(* confirmed)
That, folks, covers just HALF of the coming year! It already looks very, very nice for boxing, and for HBO PPV in particular. DLH-PBF will do 1 million plus, Hatton-Castillo would do incredible internationally because of England and Mexico (domestically, maybe 350k?), Calzaghe-Taylor (if both stay undefeated) could do 500k if promoted well enough, Pac-MAB II will do at least 400k and another DLH fight almost guarantees 800k plus buys.
There are numerous other possibilities. What will Winky do after the Quartey fight? Taylor seems to be going up for the Calzaghe fight, leaving Winky to fight perhaps the Abraham-Miranda II winner, but surely he would have a fight before that. Wladdy and Oleg are talking unification, but where do Briggs and Valuev go from here? Valuev may or may not fight mandatory Chagaev in January, but after that, since Don King has control over both, they should fight each other in the summer of 2007, right? How great would it be to have just TWO champions left by August 2007, setting up a heavyweight megafight for winter 2007.
Also, DLH says Mayweather won't be his last fight, so that means another DLH fight in 2007 (perhaps), on DLH's second favorite PPV date, Mexican Independence Day in September. Even if he loses to PBF, who wouldn't want to see DLH-Winky at 154? That solves Winky's problem for finding a megafight in 2007, and it makes sense because of Winky Promotions' alliance with Golden Boy and, by proxy, HBO.
Other questions loom. Where will Corrales go from here? Is Morales done? Does Hopkins come out of a brief retirement? If Lacy looks impressive against Tyspko, will he get the Tarver fight or anything of significance? Are we going to hear from Mayorga? What prospect (Berto, Dawson, the Petersons, Julio, et al) will make the biggest leap? Will the Prince finally return?!? (just kidding). 2007 is going to be awesome.
(What did I forget?)
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