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The month of March brings us some heavyweight spills, some Irish blood and prospect dreams. The heavyweights are back in the public eye, as James Toney challenges Hasim Rahman for his WBC heavyweight title in the most anticipated boxing event of the month. Toney, originally thought of as more of an oddity in the heavyweight division is now viewed by most as a legit heir to the throne. Rahman, he can be hot and he can be cold. The fight comes down to which Rahman decides to show up. The best part about the fight is the fact that it will be televised on free TV, not pay-per-view.
Let's run down the list of suspects in my monthly determination of Who's Hot and Who's Not in the sport of boxing.
Who's Hot
Ricardo Mayorga - The WBC junior middleweight champion is a promotion machine. The press conference tour for his May bout with Oscar De La Hoya made headlines all over the world. The headlines were a direct result of his antics during the press conference tour. Mayorga used every chance presented to attack De La Hoya on a physical and mental level.
Oscar, usually cool and calm during press conferences, was visibly enraged by Mayorga's name calling and constant questioning of his sexual preference. The end result will be an explosive fight.
HBO, Bob Arum & Dan Goossen - The could have made the Hasim Rahman vs. James Toney battle a pay-per-view attraction, but thought of boxing fans for a change and made it free. HBO, better known as the 80-pound gorilla in the boxing industry, is fully aware that the sport of boxing has lost a lot of fans in the last few years. More competitive fights with boxers that possess name recognition with the boxing public, and having them televised without a pay-per-view price tag, is great strategy towards regaining lost fans.
Zab Judah – The man must be commended for how serious he is taking his training for his April 8 clash with nemesis Floyd Mayweather. Judah, never at a loss for words, has been very quiet during the press campaign for the fight. After a disappointing loss to unheralded Carlos Baldomir in January, Mayweather will likely be his final chance to prove his worth. The entourage is gone from the gym, the loudmouth interviews are nowhere to be found, a new humble demeanor can be heard – maybe Zab has finally matured after all. [details]
Let's run down the list of suspects in my monthly determination of Who's Hot and Who's Not in the sport of boxing.
Who's Hot
Ricardo Mayorga - The WBC junior middleweight champion is a promotion machine. The press conference tour for his May bout with Oscar De La Hoya made headlines all over the world. The headlines were a direct result of his antics during the press conference tour. Mayorga used every chance presented to attack De La Hoya on a physical and mental level.
Oscar, usually cool and calm during press conferences, was visibly enraged by Mayorga's name calling and constant questioning of his sexual preference. The end result will be an explosive fight.
HBO, Bob Arum & Dan Goossen - The could have made the Hasim Rahman vs. James Toney battle a pay-per-view attraction, but thought of boxing fans for a change and made it free. HBO, better known as the 80-pound gorilla in the boxing industry, is fully aware that the sport of boxing has lost a lot of fans in the last few years. More competitive fights with boxers that possess name recognition with the boxing public, and having them televised without a pay-per-view price tag, is great strategy towards regaining lost fans.
Zab Judah – The man must be commended for how serious he is taking his training for his April 8 clash with nemesis Floyd Mayweather. Judah, never at a loss for words, has been very quiet during the press campaign for the fight. After a disappointing loss to unheralded Carlos Baldomir in January, Mayweather will likely be his final chance to prove his worth. The entourage is gone from the gym, the loudmouth interviews are nowhere to be found, a new humble demeanor can be heard – maybe Zab has finally matured after all. [details]
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