Forgetting About Dre

It sure does feel that when looking back at the career of Andre Ward it could very well start off with "Once Upon a Time." The former Olympian and current WBC Super Middleweight champion's rise through the sport was nothing but sensational as Ward unexpectedly tore through the best of the 168 pound division with almost no resistance to become the main man.

He reinforced his skill, and even showed a bit of promotional muscle by convincing then Light Heavyweight champion Chad Dawson to move down in weight to receive a beating that he very well may never recover from. One would figure that Ward would have a big bullseye on his back and that many formidable foes would come his way and that his talent would propel him to superstardom.

Ward instead turned his attention to escape the clutches of his promoter Dan Goossen, who he's been affiliated with his entire career. Through the past 10 months, Ward has failed to convince the California commission to void the agreement with Goossen two separate times and even after the latest setback, there is still no urgency for Ward to continue his fighting inside the ring, rather the ones outside of it.

The most glaring issue with Ward, and the main reason his career is stalling out, is a sense of elitism and arrogance that hides beneath the good natured person he is. When questioned about having difficulty finding fights and presented with the option of moving up to Light Heavyweight, Ward said there was no reason because he was the 168 pound champion. Surely fights with Bernard Hopkins, Adonis Stevenson or Sergei Kovalev would be more financially advantageous than fights with Edwin Rodriguez, wouldn't they?

Instead of potentially talking up the chances of fighting red-hot Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin, who is becoming a much bigger deal than Ward as HBO is investing heavily in him, his responses have been tepid at best. As a matter of fact, the only fighter that Ward has tried to publicly draw out has been the long retired Joe Calzaghe. Not to mention that Ward lobbied hard for HBO to match him up with the likes of ho-hum fighters such as Caleb Truax and Dmitri Sartison before having to settle with beating up Rodridguez last fall.

As he tries to bite off the hand that feeds him, he's been watching his conquered foes find themselves in one monetary opportunity over another. Carl Froch destroyed Lucian Bute, avenged a loss to Mikkel Kessler and have had two very big fights with fellow countryman George Groves all after Ward soundly outpointed him in the finals of the Super Six. Froch-Groves II will take place in an 80,000 seat stadium, which is probably more seats than Ward will ever fill at this rate, and Ward dismissed the magnitude of the fight saying it was a "domestic fight."

The problem with this "domestic fight" is that the winner presents a big money fight for anyone daring to try between 160 and 175 pounds, far bigger than Ward. Golovkin, who is well known in Europe would have no problem facing off against the winner, and a UK vs. Mexico showdown in Las Vegas pitting Julio Cesar Chavez Jr against either man is a fight that would hemorrhage money. Along with his resistance to moving up in weight to make the bigger fights, Ward has shown an unwillingness to pursue a fight overseas in lieu of the fact that he is competing in a division with a heavy European presence.

Ward is the best, but his continued state of non-existence is costing his marketability and will undoubtably present him with unattractive matches that will continue to hammer the point that he is wasting the prime years of his career. It's not too late for Ward to get in the mix for the big fights he feels he deserves but at this rate he's becoming more of a boogeyman than a blockbuster, and in boxing, nobody wants to fight a boogeyman.

So Pacquiao/Marquez 5...Right?

Bob Arum had finally gotten what he wanted last Saturday night when Juan Manuel Marquez beat the holy hell out of Mike Alvarado. If it were up to him, Marquez would be immediately forced onto a plane headed to Macau along with Zou Shiming, Jesse Vargas and whoever else he had in mind for the hideous undercard for Marquez's fifth fight with Manny Pacquiao. 

For nearly a decade, Pacquiao and Marquez have waged war throughout all of the major stages of their career with only their fourth fight having a definitive outcome, which was Marquez knocking Pacquiao way the hell out in December of 2012. At that point, Marquez knew that he finally got the monkey off of his back that defined his career up to that point and Arum saw dollar signs for a rematch that never came.

Pacquiao instead took a confidence booster against Brandon Rios, who was beaten in the same easy fashion as Alvarado was against Marquez and righted an earlier wrong by avenging a loss to Timothy Bradley last April. To come full circle, that victory came after Marquez fell short to Bradley in a competitive fight last October. 

Though the table should be set and ready for another clash between the two rivals, it might be too early to fill out your Tecate rebates. There are still plenty of things that need to be resolved before we hear their names before these two write another violent chapter in their epic rivalry

Marquez isn't exactly warming up to the idea of fighting Pacquiao again, even sounding dismissive about wanting to tarnish the ultimate achievement of his career. There are other factors that are making Marquez hesitant besides principle, including how much he's going to be compensated for the fight.

For Pacquiao IV and against Bradley, Marquez pocketed $6 million in those fights as well as making $1.4 million against Alvarado this weekend. Would Marquez be satisfied for slightly more than what he got paid last time, even though he won? Absolutely not.

Not to mention that Marquez felt the judges in the United States would never give him a decision against Pacquiao, even suggesting after their third fight that he would refuse to fight Pacquiao unless he came to Mexico. So if Marquez doesn't think he'll get a fair shake in America, how would he feel if the fight does take place in China, where Pacquiao's fading star is shining brighter than it is over here?

What about Pacquiao? For a fighter who's greatness in the ring is only matched by his ineptitude of his own finances, he will not be willing to take a pay cut like he did against Bradley and Rios. With his career winding down and the still unresolved issue of him owing nearly $70 million in unreported taxes, Pacquiao is not going to want to dip below his usual $20 million range, especially when he's fighting someone as dangerous as Marquez.

So that leaves us with two fighters who will presumably be standing firm on eight-digit paydays, meaning that the promotion will have to be nothing short of a rousing success at the box-office to give both men what they feel they deserve. As exciting as their four fights have been, it's not out of the question to suggest that the fight may be handicapped going in due to the fatigue of fans seeing the same match up for a fifth time.

Not even a full day after the Alvarado victory, Top Rank publicly announced that Pacquiao/Ruslan Provodnikov is on the table if Marquez decided to forgo that fight. Not only that, but in recent weeks, Provodnikov has changed his stance from not wanting to fight his former sparring partner to now taking the opportunity and money that fight would provide.

A Provodnikov match would guarantee Pacquiao's large purse demand without having to cut corners to make sure the challenger would be properly compensated. Same would apply for a trilogy fight with Bradley once he made a successful return in the ring. Provodnikov and Bradley combined will probably accept less money than Marquez may be prepared to demand.

If Marquez is serious about retiring, then there's really nothing stopping him as he's achieved just about everything he could possibly do in his 21 year career. His only inspiration to continue fighting is a title in a fifth weight class, and while Pacquiao has a belt, so does Shawn Porter. Recent reports of the increasingly chummy relationship between Arum and Oscar De La Hoya could potentially open up a Marquez/Porter match where Marquez will have more negotiating power and a chance to win a title. 

While it's expected that the powers that be will be doing everything in their power to make this realistic fight happen for the end of the year, they can't ignore the real predicament that floats over this fight like a bad storm cloud. Pacquiao and Marquez do not need each other anymore and trying to push them closer together may just force them further apart.

Chris Arreola and the Best of the Boxing Bridesmaids

How does the old saying go? Always a bridesmaid, but never a bride?

There was plenty of high hopes that Chris Arreola was going to bring back the Heavyweight title to America last weekend. The hotly popular Mexican-American, who had been a victim of his own self-sabatoge for his poor conditioning, looked like he had finally turned the corner in his career and was ready to avenge his loss to Bermane Stiverne and win the Heavyweight title at his second at bat.

Unfortunately for Arreola, the stars were lined up for the guy across the ring. Stiverne pummeled Arreola over the course of six rounds and earned the stoppage win after two hard knockdowns. The 32-year-old Arreola isn't quite outside of the bubble at Heavyweight and figures to still find a big fight along the way, but another loss at the top level has left a severe blow in regards to his title aspirations.

Arreola's inability thus far to live up to the potential many saw in him isn't anything new in the fight game. There have been plenty of amateur standouts, Olympic stars and heavily touted prospects who's greatest achievements were being products of hype and could never get over the hump that separates being good from being great.

In his honor, here are some the best "bridesmaids" of recent memory and their failed attempts to cross over to the championship level.

Oba Carr (54-6-1, 31 KO)
Years active: 1989-2002
Record in world title fights: 0-3 (KO 2)
As good as it got: After scoring a 2nd round knockdown of Felix Trinidad, Carr himself would get dropped and stopped six rounds later.

A product of the legendary Kronk Gym in Detroit, Carr was a staple in the very talented Welterweight class of the 1990s. Carr had big wins over the likes of former champions Frankie Randall and Ramon "Yori Boy" Campas, but was out of his depth against Felix Trinidad (KO 8), Ike Quartey (MD12) and Oscar De La Hoya (KO 11). After the loss to De La Hoya, Carr never regained his top-level form and quietly retired in 2002.


Rocky Juarez
Years active: 2001-Present
Record in world title fights: 0-4-1
As good as it got: Receiving a generous draw against lineal Featherweight champion Chris John.

The former 2000 silver medalist could very well be the poster child for championship futility. With an incredible amateur pedigree, Houston's Juarez never was able to reach the elite level once he turned pro in 2001. In his five title fights Juarez ranged from being competitive such as his split decision loss to Marco Antonio Barrera and draw to Chris John, or non-competitive in those respective rematches. The draw to John signified the end of Juarez's career as a top talent, going a shocking 1-6 ever since.

Edison Miranda (35-9, 30 KO)
Years active: 2001-Present
Record in world title fights: 0-2 (1 KO)
As good as it got: Breaking Arthur Abraham's jaw, but falling short on the cards in Middleweight clash.

It's hard to believe, but there was a time where Edison Miranda was being positioned as the future of the Middleweight division thanks to his brash attitude and tremendous punching power. Miranda's loss to Abraham propelled him to the top of the Middleweight division where he was toppled handily by future champion Kelly Pavlik, and it would take three more years until his last title shot where he was knocked out by Lucian Bute. Now a gatekeeper, Miranda has gone 2-3 in his last five fights.



Angel Manfredy (43-8-1, 32 KO)
Years active: 1993-2004
Record in world title fights: 0-4 (2 KO)
As good as it got: Manfredy was the betting favorite ahead of his loss to Lightweight champion Stevie Johnson.

Manfredy was one of the more popular fighters in the lighter weight classes of the previous decade with plenty of talent, but his only problem was being good in an era where his division had truly great fighters. He scored wins over future champions Arturo Gatti, Ivan Robinson and Julio Diaz, but could never make it over the hump when he was positioned for championship glory. Manfredy's losses came to Floyd Mayweather (KO 2), Stevie Johnston (UD 12), Diego Corrales (KO 3) and Paul Spadafora (UD 12).


David Tua (52-5-2, 43 KO)
Years active: 1992-2013
Record in world title fights: 0-1
As good as it got: In his lone title fight, Tua looked flat and out of his depth against Lennox Lewis.

Known for his explosive power, Tua had knockout wins over the likes of John Ruiz, Hasim Rahman, Fres Oquendo, Oleg Maskaev and Michael Moorer. Tua's vaunted power wasn't enough to crack the delicate chin of Lennox Lewis in his only championship appearance, and Lewis landed three punches every time Tua landed one in a dominating performance. A loss to Chris Byrd and a draw against Rahman in their rematch pretty much ended Tua's run as a top Heavyweight; he fought mediocre opposition until back-to-back losses against Monte Barrett and Alexander Ustinov signaled his retirement last year.

How Marcos Maidana Took “Money” From Mayweather

Last weekend was as close as anyone had ever been to defeating Floyd Mayweather. Marcos Maidana’s game plan was an impressive mixture of using his size and willingness to fight dirty, and it almost earned him a place in history among the biggest upsets in boxing history.

Mayweather did win, despite his difficulties, and preserved his undefeated record while winning Maidana’s WBA Welterweight title in the process. In what was a thrilling fight that saw Mayweather bloodied and at the brink of defeat, skill ultimately triumphed over will.

The gutsy win showed us that Mayweather can possibly be defeated, but the lasting effects of the fight may prove damaging for boxing’s richest champion. Post Maidana, Mayweather is being perceived as vulnerable and perhaps primed for a loss; that isn’t good for business, especially when your moniker is “Money.”

There are only three fights left before his self-imposed retirement date of September 2015, but boxing’s reigning pound-for-pound and pay-per-view champion may be at the start of an immediate decline.

Fans are more insistent now than ever that Mayweather fights Manny Pacquiao, and with no real emerging star available at his disposal, there is the risk that the public won’t care who he fights anymore. The fight with Maidana may possibly fail to pass the million marks in regards to pay-per-view buys, the second time in three fights, and future fights may do less.

If the career of Mayweather’s forever-never rival Pacquiao is any indication of what might be next, Maidana’s efforts might have done more damage than initially expected. After looking almost superhuman and indestructible against high-tier opponents, Pacquiao saw his marketability go into an uncontrollable nosedive after his veil of invincibility was taken away.

That didn’t happen after his back-to-back losses in 2012 to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez; that happened after his 2011 campaign against Shane Mosley and Marquez. The forgettable performance to Mosley and egregious decision in the third Marquez fight made Pacquiao look human, and the result was a near 40% in his pay per view numbers in 2012.

Mayweather’s most logical choice would be a rematch with Maidana this fall and seldom do rematches sell better than the first encounter. Equally troublesome is that there is few opponents’ left that are an appropriate mix (for Mayweather, at least) of risk and reward as his career comes to a close.

Amir Khan’s performance against Luis Collazo was impressive, but more due to the fact that Collazo fought as if his paycheck hadn’t cleared the bank than Khan’s performance. The public passed on Khan then and would much rather see Maidana again than him now.

Danny Garcia was a logical choice at one time, but Garcia’s chances were diminished after a very poor performance against Mauricio Herrera in which Garcia won a disputed decision. Garcia plans to move to Welterweight, but will need to re-establish himself in the wake of the Herrera fight with a convincing win over a top opponent.

The young guns at Welterweight in Shawn Porter and Keith Thurman may fight each other first, but even if they do in what would be a fantastic fight, would the winner be too much for the aging champion? Both Porter and Thurman share the same physical advantages Maidana had over Mayweather, and dare I say they are both more skilled overall.

Retirement is not an option, regardless of the hints Mayweather tried to drop in a vain attempt to generate some buzz prior to the event. Mayweather’s deal with Showtime guarantees him around $31.5 million for the remaining three fights on his contract even if he fights Bozo the Clown, Ronald McDonald and Count Chocula let alone any of the names mentioned above. Mayweather will fight until the end of said deal.

All it took in the past to win the Mayweather sweepstakes was to be the flavor of the month and a payday was inbound. It’s been the same formula since 2006 against Carlos Baldomir all the way up to last weekend against Maidana. With the public clamoring for Mayweather/Pacquiao before either of them retire there is no more patience for the temporary distractions. As a matter of fact, there really isn’t anybody else out there that the public really wants Mayweather to fight as of right now.

Those days, and Mayweather’s heyday, have been quietly coming to a stop despite his continued success in the ring. Maidana may not have won, but may just have taken away the “Money” from Mayweather.