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By Cliff Rold - On paper, it looks as tantalizing as any match made yet in the Fox Sports 1 series. That might not be saying much. So far, too many of the weeknight offerings for the new series have been without high quality main events. That’s not the case this Thursday (8 PM EST/5 PM PST).
In the main event, 2009 World Amateur Champion and 2008 Olympian McWilliams Arroyo (14-1, 12 KO) of Puerto Rico takes on undefeated Froilan Saludar (19-0-1, 12 KO) of the Philippines. The winner gets a crack at IBF titlist Amnat Ruenroeng.
All of this happens in the Flyweight division.
This isn’t just a fight. It’s a platform. If this fight can be as good in the ring as it is on paper, it can only be a good thing for everyone who likes to see high quality action fights.
Flyweight is been as good as any division in boxing in terms of talent and depth. Only Welterweight may currently exceed it. The July 2014 issue of Ring Magazine, featuring their annual “State of the Game” report, rated Flyweight the best current division in boxing with Welterweight second.
It’s a worthy debate. Welterweight, with three of the best fighters of their era (Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquaio, and Juan Manuel Marquez) still competing at a high level and a strong supporting class around them, take a back seat to nothing.
However, as regards the violence in the ring, Flyweight has often been in a class of its own in the last few years. Brian Viloria, Edgar Sosa, Giovani Segura, Tyson Marquez, Luis Concepcion, and Juan Francisco Estrada have all been involved in exceptional contests, some of them outright classics. Roman Gonzalez and Akira Yaegashi’s best fights have, thus far, happened below 112 lbs.
Give it time. They’ll add to the mix too.
Most of this action has occurred ‘off-Broadway’ on US airwaves. Viloria, Estrada, and Marquez have all been seen on US English language platforms (AWE and HBO2 to be specific). None have had the benefit of the sort of prime time exposure Fox Sports 1 might be able to provide this week. While the network won’t deliver the masses the way Showtime or HBO might, it’s a great place to get more buzz generated. [Click Here To Read More]
In the main event, 2009 World Amateur Champion and 2008 Olympian McWilliams Arroyo (14-1, 12 KO) of Puerto Rico takes on undefeated Froilan Saludar (19-0-1, 12 KO) of the Philippines. The winner gets a crack at IBF titlist Amnat Ruenroeng.
All of this happens in the Flyweight division.
This isn’t just a fight. It’s a platform. If this fight can be as good in the ring as it is on paper, it can only be a good thing for everyone who likes to see high quality action fights.
Flyweight is been as good as any division in boxing in terms of talent and depth. Only Welterweight may currently exceed it. The July 2014 issue of Ring Magazine, featuring their annual “State of the Game” report, rated Flyweight the best current division in boxing with Welterweight second.
It’s a worthy debate. Welterweight, with three of the best fighters of their era (Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquaio, and Juan Manuel Marquez) still competing at a high level and a strong supporting class around them, take a back seat to nothing.
However, as regards the violence in the ring, Flyweight has often been in a class of its own in the last few years. Brian Viloria, Edgar Sosa, Giovani Segura, Tyson Marquez, Luis Concepcion, and Juan Francisco Estrada have all been involved in exceptional contests, some of them outright classics. Roman Gonzalez and Akira Yaegashi’s best fights have, thus far, happened below 112 lbs.
Give it time. They’ll add to the mix too.
Most of this action has occurred ‘off-Broadway’ on US airwaves. Viloria, Estrada, and Marquez have all been seen on US English language platforms (AWE and HBO2 to be specific). None have had the benefit of the sort of prime time exposure Fox Sports 1 might be able to provide this week. While the network won’t deliver the masses the way Showtime or HBO might, it’s a great place to get more buzz generated. [Click Here To Read More]
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