Fact: Nothing-Burger Boxing Kick Offs 2022
Welcome to once again the dog days of nothing-burger boxing. You’d think for a sport that is so global, and really one that doesn’t take much to start, wouldn’t be so scarce, but here we are.
For instance, the big “news story” was ESPN’s Mike Coppinger hearing a potential fight between Canelo Alvarez and Jermall Charlo for May. Cool. What would be even cooler? Hearing it actually being official. Until that comes or doesn’t, boxing media is stuck to sit here and create fantasy bookings and future pieces until an actual fight happens in the ring of substance or someone says something. So you know what that means until then:
“Here are the fights. I want to see this in 2022…”
“I think (so and so) will do (whatever)…”
“Look for (blah, blah blah) to do (blah, blah, blah)”
This reads like I’m popping shots at boxing media like Ol’ Dirty Bastard, but that crap sucks, and we ALL KNOW IT. It sucks a lot. We don’t get enough fights as it is, and writers across the sport are forced to make these grocery list articles. I’d rather start a fight at this point; we’d at least have something to write then.
So where’s your list, Marquis?
Outside of getting closer to carpal tunnel and some pretty limp clickbait, there isn’t much meat on the bone in the sweet science going on right now. It’s almost dire straights for content creators in the sport. Don’t believe me? Last week, one of the bigger actual news items was a Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade purse bid for another non-marquee title defense for the Providence native. A fight he’s been trying to get out of any way he can since the WBO ordered it last year.
When the big news is a fighter being ordered to a fight he more than likely isn’t going to pursue in a sport with 2 million belts (but their shrinking allegedly) and 3 million promotions with 4 million fighters, it’s a problem. The pandemic, of course, plays a part in this to a degree, but this part of the year has been known for starting with nothing of interest usually anyway.
“Here is my breakdown of the Top 100 fighters in 2022 ranked by last names under 35!
We have to be better than this drivel. Seriously.
In the meantime, here’s hoping we get some real news and can ride out these lame hypotheticals until any of them come true.
Marquis Johns is a unknown humorist and avid boxing fan. His love for the sweet science goes back to when matches were 15 rounds and has been covering fights since closed-circuit pay-per-views. Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth is not only a quote by Mike Tyson, it's also a pretty good reminder to keep your guard up.
