B.A.D. = Boxer's Apathy Defect.

[Njord777]

He fought Cotto in his last fight, and he made the fight competitive. How do you see any of the four knocking him out that easy is beyond me. I dislike Maglinaggi too but don't let the hate cloud your judgement.

Malignaggi - Cotto was competitive but Miguel was firmly in control most of the fight, knocked Pauli down, shattered his orbital bone, busted up his lip and nose- and for all intensive purposes punished him as he said he would.
A knock on Cotto has always been that he isn't the slickest, fastest fighter out there. Now, I'm not saying that any of the fighters listed- Harrison, Hatton, Castillo or Corrales would lay him out...but I am definitely saying just because Cotto couldn't do it with his style doesn't mean no one can.

[Caca]

He fought Cotto in his last fight, and he made the fight competitive. How do you see any of the four knocking him out that easy is beyond me. I dislike Maglinaggi too but don't let the hate cloud your judgement.

With the exception of Hatton, all three are better punchers than Cotto. Cotto is overhyped as a puncher, I cannot remember the last time he's KO'd someone with one shot.

[K-DOGG]

B.A.D. = Boxer's Apathy Defect.
Everyone predicted it. When the writers told us HBO cards have been stale we all balked. We cited examples of excitement- we debated amongst ourselves. The boxing fan predicted great things from this Saturday's Boxing After Dark triple header. Berto would shine, Smith and Powell would war, and Malignaggi would face a very game, live opponent in Edner Cherry.

Did we get all that? Well, that is a matter of opinion- and a great fight rarely is. A truly great fight is acknowledged by most boxing fans. A nod of the head, a mutter of respect, a brief, "that was a great fight". Did Berto-Bravo, Powell-Smith or Malignaggi-Cherry give all of us that feeling? No.

Berto dusted a somewhat bewildered looking Bravo who was thrown out of the fight by the New York athletic commission's three knock down rule. He didn't look dangerously hurt- but he did get put down on his butt three times and that was enough. First round KO....and goodnight Berto. Nice seeing you again. Thanks for the highlight reel addition.

Then we moved on to Powell-Smith. Most of us thought it would be a competitive, close fight. Sure, maybe it was a close fight...but why? The first half of the fight saw Ishe Smith- a man who we were told was hungry to be seen as more than a sparring partner and Contender fighter-do little. He did not fight like a boxer dying for respect. He did not seem to be putting 110% out there from the first round. He picked up the pace late but took the early rounds slow. Powell fought gamely, and skillfully, but also seemed to lack that intensity that we all notice in boxers and make mental notes of. The spark that says that man truly loves to fight. Despite the curiously wide decision in favor of Powell, who screamed, "I love you HBO" into the camera as if applauding what he felt was a gift, it was not the battle many predicted.

Finally we had our last ten round contest of the evening- Pauli Malignaggi vs. Edner Cherry. What happened? The supposedly game Cherry just did not fight like the boxers of old- which he needed to. Malignaggi was much faster, and was able to use movement and speed to out box Edner. It became quickly apparent that Chery was going to need to let his hands go and not fear getting hit to land a few. Take three to give one. Should that have been a fear against a man with a measly 5 KO's to his record? Well, apparently Edner was more concerned with fighting well than fighting hard. Yes, he put up a good show but he failed to leave it all in the ring.

In the end we have to ask, did these men let it die in the ring? Did they spill their blood, drop their sweat, and give every ounce of being they had for the boxing fan, for the sport, and for themselves? Or did they fight solid fights. It's one thing when a champion cruises; when an established fighter takes it easy for one night. These are the contenders. The lower top ten...those on the cusp of stardom. Many are on HBO for their first time. It's their chance to shine. A loss is a loss- but an amazing effort is never forgotten.

Boxing After Dark seems to be highlighting fighters who, while the match-up may look good on paper, confuse us in the ring. They fight but always seem to hold something back. If you don't want to run the risk of dying in the ring you are in the wrong sport. Boxing while a sweet science is also a brutal, violent art form created by two men willing to be destroyed for respect. Can we say that Ishe Smith, Sechew Powell, Pauli Malignaggi or Ender Cherry looked like they were willing to be destroyed? Is anything less really acceptable when you're watching young, supposedly hungry fighters who are trying to impress on us they're worth our time or money in the future?

I contest it is not. Boxing After Dark is highlighting good fighters. Solid match-ups. Decent contests....but also apathetic boxers. Men who are willing to do just enough to win. Doing just enough to win gets you a victory- not the seeds for a legend. Where are the Mickey Wards, Arturro Gattis, more men like Jorge Arce who love to fight- where has the passion gone? Some may contest that I'm being too rough on the men. That the fighters fought hard, and well, and the fights were enjoyable. I suggest that a new standard has been created that is different than that of the nostalgic boxer. Would a Rocky Marciano be satisfied with the efforts given tonight? Would Sugar Ray Leonard do just enough to win? Would the legends that seemed to have all stopped being created have shown such a lack of passion?

It seems that no matter who HBO lines up, no matter what the record of the fighters or the stylistic match-up, the fights fall a bit flat. There are still people falling asleep in their recliners. Why should that be? Until B.A.D. stops standing for Boxer's Apathy Defect- a disorder where fighters don't seem to care that we don't have the same passion towards them that was once common, that they aren't loving their job and simply doing it, then we have a problem. Boxing is the one place- where two men face off in the most adversarial contest on the planet- that passion needs to always be found.

Apathy will kill this sport.

Great post Njord.....I couldn't agree more with your synopsis of the fights.


As I said earlier on another thread, it was a good ESPN-type card; but not what we've come to expect from HBO.

[Njord777]

Like I said in my take there...I'm a bit perplexed by Edner Cherry's fight plan. If he knows that Malignaggi only has 5 KO's in twenty odd fights, that he shouldn't be able to hurt him, why didn't he take what he had to by opening up and throwing more leather? I know he's coming up in weight but he is going against someone who should be much smaller and weaker than the "Cherry Bomb". We knew he was slow...but...I at least thought he'd be willing to try a little more. Even if it meant taking more punishment.

[Mike Tyson77]

p.s. fire lennox hbo hes killing me

I like to hear what great fighters have to say about a fight. Lewis knows a lot more about boxing than Merchant.

[K-DOGG]

Like I said in my take there...I'm a bit perplexed by Edner Cherry's fight plan. If he knows that Malignaggi only has 5 KO's in twenty odd fights, that he shouldn't be able to hurt him, why didn't he take what he had to by opening up and throwing more leather? I know he's coming up in weight but he is going against someone who should be much smaller and weaker than the "Cherry Bomb". We knew he was slow...but...I at least thought he'd be willing to try a little more. Even if it meant taking more punishment.

I tend to agree. He could have been more aggressive; but there were more "little things" he could have done that would have helped, such as doubling up on the jab and stepping in with a right hand behind it, or cutting the ring off, or by committing more to the body early on. When a guy moves like Malinaggi, you have to either corner him or make him move faster than he wants.

Either way, Cherry looks like a decent fighter; he was just outclassed last night.

[Njord777]

I tend to agree. He could have been more aggressive; but there were more "little things" he could have done that would have helped, such as doubling up on the jab and stepping in with a right hand behind it, or cutting the ring off, or by committing more to the body early on. When a guy moves like Malinaggi, you have to either corner him or make him move faster than he wants.

Either way, Cherry looks like a decent fighter; he was just outclassed last night.

I agree with you. There were little things he could of done...but if, for whatever reason, Edner Cherry could not do those things good, old fashioned machismo would have done him well. If he didn't have the mental fortitude to remember he needed to cut off the ring, or listen to his corner by chopping away at the body to take Malignaggi's legs- what else was there for him? If Edner Cherry just wasn't a skilled enough fighter to do those tiny things we'd expect him to he could have at least said, "**** this, this guy can't hurt me...I'm bum rushing him. Sure, I'm going to get hit...but I'm using my size and one of these bombs is going to explode on him...."

Instead he fought well, a bit reserved at times, and failed to either do the small things he could have added to his game plan or go for broke..

[K-DOGG]

I agree with you. There were little things he could of done...but if, for whatever reason, Edner Cherry could not do those things good, old fashioned machismo would have done him well. If he didn't have the mental fortitude to remember he needed to cut off the ring, or listen to his corner by chopping away at the body to take Malignaggi's legs- what else was there for him? If Edner Cherry just wasn't a skilled enough fighter to do those tiny things we'd expect him to he could have at least said, "**** this, this guy can't hurt me...I'm bum rushing him. Sure, I'm going to get hit...but I'm using my size and one of these bombs is going to explode on him...."

Instead he fought well, a bit reserved at times, and failed to either do the small things he could have added to his game plan or go for broke..

Yeah, that's kind of why it reminded me of an ESPN type of card; it was meant to showcase "their" fighters.....meaning the matchmaker finds opponents who are good enough to put on a show and make the matches entertaining; but not quite good enough to upstage their meal-tickets.

[Njord777]

Yeah, that's kind of why it reminded me of an ESPN type of card; it was meant to showcase "their" fighters.....meaning the matchmaker finds opponents who are good enough to put on a show and make the matches entertaining; but not quite good enough to upstage their meal-tickets.

I agree, but many of us thought the fights would be much more than that. Everyone I saw posting thought Ishe Smith would really come out with everything he had...and that Cherry would be the same way. But it didn't feel like anyone had any real passion to win or be killed trying....which is the intensity that makes legends.

[-Antonio-]

On paper these were good matchups. The fact that Tackie had to pull out, and Ishe fought such a cautious fight isnt HBOs fault. I was dissapointed with the whole event too, but BAD is trying to get better.