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by David P. Greisman - We lead off with an anecdote of recent vintage.
Earlier this month I spoke with Demetrius Andrade, a junior-middleweight titleholder who had temporarily taken a seat directly behind me on press row in Montreal. He was there solely as a spectator. He wasn’t boxing on the card. Indeed, he hasn’t fought since June of last year.
Toward the end of 2014, Andrade had opted against facing Jermell Charlo, saying the timing wasn’t right and the money wasn’t enough. I asked about this, noting that Zab Judah had once taken a relatively small sum for his rematch with Cory Spinks but had knocked Spinks out, winning the welterweight championship and bigger paydays down the road. The sacrifice for Judah, humbling himself in negotiations, turned out to be worth it.
Andrade said he’d already made similar sacrifices for past fights and that it was time for him to cash in on those investments. And besides, he said, after turning down the Charlo fight late last year he’d been offered more money to face him in 2015. Andrade said he’d accepted that deal but Charlo had opted to face Vanes Martirosyan on March 27 instead.
What wasn’t said was that had Andrade taken the Charlo fight and won in December 2014, he might’ve been in another fight as soon as March or April of 2015. Now he’s still waiting on his next appearance. In essence, he’s missed out on at least one potential payday, if not two.
That’s the kind of approach many boxers take these days. It’s why boxers such as Gennady Golovkin are labeled throwback fighters when they have four bouts in the span of one calendar year. Yet praise for those like Golovkin doesn’t necessary mean damnation for those who approach boxing as a business. [Click Here To Read More]
Earlier this month I spoke with Demetrius Andrade, a junior-middleweight titleholder who had temporarily taken a seat directly behind me on press row in Montreal. He was there solely as a spectator. He wasn’t boxing on the card. Indeed, he hasn’t fought since June of last year.
Toward the end of 2014, Andrade had opted against facing Jermell Charlo, saying the timing wasn’t right and the money wasn’t enough. I asked about this, noting that Zab Judah had once taken a relatively small sum for his rematch with Cory Spinks but had knocked Spinks out, winning the welterweight championship and bigger paydays down the road. The sacrifice for Judah, humbling himself in negotiations, turned out to be worth it.
Andrade said he’d already made similar sacrifices for past fights and that it was time for him to cash in on those investments. And besides, he said, after turning down the Charlo fight late last year he’d been offered more money to face him in 2015. Andrade said he’d accepted that deal but Charlo had opted to face Vanes Martirosyan on March 27 instead.
What wasn’t said was that had Andrade taken the Charlo fight and won in December 2014, he might’ve been in another fight as soon as March or April of 2015. Now he’s still waiting on his next appearance. In essence, he’s missed out on at least one potential payday, if not two.
That’s the kind of approach many boxers take these days. It’s why boxers such as Gennady Golovkin are labeled throwback fighters when they have four bouts in the span of one calendar year. Yet praise for those like Golovkin doesn’t necessary mean damnation for those who approach boxing as a business. [Click Here To Read More]
Is that why they weren't one of his better performances at 154? Because they were healthy?
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