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Promoter Gary Shaw likes the idea of tournaments in boxing. That is why he is one of the promoters of Showtime's critically acclaimed Super Six World Boxing Classic, the six-man super middleweight tournament that includes, Andre Dirrell, whom Shaw promotes.
Besides the 168-pound super middleweight division, the 140-pound junior welterweight division is one of boxing's deepest and Shaw promotes titleholder Timothy Bradley Jr., who is widely regarded as the No. 1 fighter in the weight class.
So Shaw, while touting Bradley's July 17 HBO debut against Luis Carlos Abregu in a nontitle welterweight bout, revealed on a media conference call that he had pitched HBO on a junior welterweight tournament.
While the network, which is deeply involved in the weight class, liked the idea, Shaw said it was shot down by Golden Boy Promotions, which promotes three of the fighters who would have potentially been involved, titleholder Amir Khan of England, lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico (who would move up in weight) and interim titlist Marcos Maidana of Argentina.
"I was up at HBO this week, unbeknownst to anybody," Shaw said. "I offered to do 140-pound tournament with Timothy Bradley, Devon Alexander, Amir Khan, and if Marquez beats (Juan) Diaz (on July 31), he could be in the tournament as well."
Shaw later suggested that Maidana could also be a possibility.
"I suggested that we have a press conference and we pull names out of a bottle," said Shaw about a blind draw. "If we pulled (unified titlist) Devon Alexander, then we fight Devon. If we pull Amir Khan, then we fight Amir Khan or Marquez or any other 140-pound that they want to put in there.
"Timothy Bradley will fight anybody, and, to Devon Alexander's credit, he'll fight anybody. But it's the (others) that wouldn't fight."
Shaw said HBO wanted to match Bradley and Alexander after they have their upcoming fights, Bradley on July 17 and Alexander in a title defense against former titlist Andreas Kotelnik on Aug. 7. Shaw preferred either pulling random names for the matchups or having the Americans fight the others first.
"I said to them, 'Why should two undefeated Americans fight one another?' Let each one of them fight one of the international fighters and then the winners will meet," Shaw said. "And then if you do a press conference and you pick a (ball) out of a hat or a bowl or whatever the device is, it would gain great interest.
"I said if you want to add more interest to it, give $500,000 to the winner of the tournament strictly for the fighter, not for the manager, not for the team, not for the promoter. The bonus check right to the fighter. And, they liked my ideas. The problem is, Amir Khan, obviously doesn't like the idea and I would assume Golden Boy doesn't like the idea too. But we would do it and Devon Alexander would do it."
Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer, who has a tremendous amount of money invested in the division, said they have other plans for Khan, the linchpin of any tournament because of the money he generates in England, and didn't need a tournament.
"We are lining up some pretty big fights for him, including the winner of Marquez-Diaz or potentially Maidana or Michael Katsidis," Schaefer said, adding that Khan would be ringside to scout Marquez-Diaz II in advance of a fight in November or December. "These are exciting fights. That is the direction we want to go. But eventually the fights (with Bradley and Alexander) will happen."
Dan Rafael covers boxing for ESPN.com.
Besides the 168-pound super middleweight division, the 140-pound junior welterweight division is one of boxing's deepest and Shaw promotes titleholder Timothy Bradley Jr., who is widely regarded as the No. 1 fighter in the weight class.
So Shaw, while touting Bradley's July 17 HBO debut against Luis Carlos Abregu in a nontitle welterweight bout, revealed on a media conference call that he had pitched HBO on a junior welterweight tournament.
While the network, which is deeply involved in the weight class, liked the idea, Shaw said it was shot down by Golden Boy Promotions, which promotes three of the fighters who would have potentially been involved, titleholder Amir Khan of England, lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico (who would move up in weight) and interim titlist Marcos Maidana of Argentina.
"I was up at HBO this week, unbeknownst to anybody," Shaw said. "I offered to do 140-pound tournament with Timothy Bradley, Devon Alexander, Amir Khan, and if Marquez beats (Juan) Diaz (on July 31), he could be in the tournament as well."
Shaw later suggested that Maidana could also be a possibility.
"I suggested that we have a press conference and we pull names out of a bottle," said Shaw about a blind draw. "If we pulled (unified titlist) Devon Alexander, then we fight Devon. If we pull Amir Khan, then we fight Amir Khan or Marquez or any other 140-pound that they want to put in there.
"Timothy Bradley will fight anybody, and, to Devon Alexander's credit, he'll fight anybody. But it's the (others) that wouldn't fight."
Shaw said HBO wanted to match Bradley and Alexander after they have their upcoming fights, Bradley on July 17 and Alexander in a title defense against former titlist Andreas Kotelnik on Aug. 7. Shaw preferred either pulling random names for the matchups or having the Americans fight the others first.
"I said to them, 'Why should two undefeated Americans fight one another?' Let each one of them fight one of the international fighters and then the winners will meet," Shaw said. "And then if you do a press conference and you pick a (ball) out of a hat or a bowl or whatever the device is, it would gain great interest.
"I said if you want to add more interest to it, give $500,000 to the winner of the tournament strictly for the fighter, not for the manager, not for the team, not for the promoter. The bonus check right to the fighter. And, they liked my ideas. The problem is, Amir Khan, obviously doesn't like the idea and I would assume Golden Boy doesn't like the idea too. But we would do it and Devon Alexander would do it."
Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer, who has a tremendous amount of money invested in the division, said they have other plans for Khan, the linchpin of any tournament because of the money he generates in England, and didn't need a tournament.
"We are lining up some pretty big fights for him, including the winner of Marquez-Diaz or potentially Maidana or Michael Katsidis," Schaefer said, adding that Khan would be ringside to scout Marquez-Diaz II in advance of a fight in November or December. "These are exciting fights. That is the direction we want to go. But eventually the fights (with Bradley and Alexander) will happen."
Dan Rafael covers boxing for ESPN.com.
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