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Antonio Margarito, surprisingly, is the grand prize jackpot, and Paul Williams may just be the man holding the winning ticket.
In a division that houses Carlos Baldomir, Floyd Mayweather, Ricky Hatton, Arturo Gatti and will soon see the return of Shane Mosley, all it took was the $8 million offer made to Mayweather by Margarito’s promoter, Bob Arum, and the status quo changed.
Those seven digits turned Margarito from a high-risk low-reward welterweight to the destination for gold prospectors, and Mayweather’s denial created the opportunity for others to sift for nuggets lesser in size but still valuable.
“Bob Arum could offer me 10 percent of what he offered Mayweather and I’ll come knock [Margarito] out for that,” said former Contender contestant Ishe Smith to one Web site. Smith, suddenly, was one of a handful of fighters calling Margarito out, but the $800,000 he requested and the possibility of a match-up were both merely pipe dreams.
Whether conducted through a press release or in an interview, calling out a target without extending a contract offer is mostly a publicity stunt, and denying a bout – supposedly the desired result of said stunt – does not always amount to ducking a fighter.
Rather, a fight opportunity should result from accomplishment, reputation or possibility. Those citing Margarito’s lack of accomplishment as the primary reason he does not deserve to face Mayweather are ignoring his past inability to get name opponents in the ring, a conundrum based on his reputation and the possible results. [details]
In a division that houses Carlos Baldomir, Floyd Mayweather, Ricky Hatton, Arturo Gatti and will soon see the return of Shane Mosley, all it took was the $8 million offer made to Mayweather by Margarito’s promoter, Bob Arum, and the status quo changed.
Those seven digits turned Margarito from a high-risk low-reward welterweight to the destination for gold prospectors, and Mayweather’s denial created the opportunity for others to sift for nuggets lesser in size but still valuable.
“Bob Arum could offer me 10 percent of what he offered Mayweather and I’ll come knock [Margarito] out for that,” said former Contender contestant Ishe Smith to one Web site. Smith, suddenly, was one of a handful of fighters calling Margarito out, but the $800,000 he requested and the possibility of a match-up were both merely pipe dreams.
Whether conducted through a press release or in an interview, calling out a target without extending a contract offer is mostly a publicity stunt, and denying a bout – supposedly the desired result of said stunt – does not always amount to ducking a fighter.
Rather, a fight opportunity should result from accomplishment, reputation or possibility. Those citing Margarito’s lack of accomplishment as the primary reason he does not deserve to face Mayweather are ignoring his past inability to get name opponents in the ring, a conundrum based on his reputation and the possible results. [details]
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