Billy's Boxing Blog

By William Trillo

As defined by Cambridge Dictionary
Final Nail in the Coffin: An event that causes the failure of something that had already started to fail.

If there was anyone questioning whether or not PPV boxing shows have gone the way of the Dodo Bird, Saturday nights PBC promoted catastrophe on FOX is a loud and clear answer. From top to bottom and from the inside out the broadcast was an atrocity.

The very first phone call I received on Sunday went as follows:

Me: Hello?

Caller: Should I start kicking myself in the ass right now for buying that PPV last night or would you like to come over and do it for me.

Me: I’m kinda busy today so you’ll have to handle it on your own. But yeah I hear ya, that was pathetic.

Caller: Pathetic? That is one of the worst cards I have ever seen. Why did I pay for that sh*t? That’s it for me and boxing PPV’s…I’m done! Right now I am watching Top Ranks card on ESPN+ and I am paying the monthly fee for DAZN effective immediately! I will never pay for another PPV again.

Me: Yeah, I am with you my friend. PPV boxing is six feet under thanks to that.

Trolling around on Social Media after the fight last night and today it is clear the sentiment is the same everywhere. The entire broadcast fell short on every level. Pick a topic and run it by me, I will be happy to tell you why it sucked.

Never mind Spence did as 99.9% of the boxing world expected by whitewashing Mikey, which was merely the icing on the cake. The entire undercard was a joke of mismatches and set ups that were embarrassing to witness.

The only fighter I saw that had any promise at all was Luis Nery who appears to be the real thing. Then I saw Faust himself, Richard Schaefer rear his greasy head in his corner. Trust me, if Tricky Dicky has to sell his soul to Haymon at the expense of Nery’s career he will. If I am Nery or his management I look for an out in that contract sooner rather than later.

If I am supposed to be impressed by what either Arreola or Benividez did against those handpicked opponents…well I am not.

And as far as the broadcast itself, this is the product you get when you hire the B & C team. I mean really, I never thought I would be yearning again for Harold Lederman, but after what I saw and heard in between rounds, Harold would have been a breath of fresh air.

To add insult to injury you gave a segment to a guy who only a few weeks ago was ripped unmercifully by Deontay Wilder for his less than astute observations. Look, I understand this YouTube generation of journalists is more concerned about who sees them than actually reporting the news or knowing what the hell they are talking about, (see Lederman comment above and do the math), but most boxing fans are still old school and they think those YouTube guys are tools. Yet, this is who the promoter decided to shove down our gullets. It made for piss poor viewing on every level.

A couple months ago I wrote an article singing the praises of DAZN and ESPN+ as the wave of the future. I implored boxing fans that seemed hesitant to give it a shot, that streaming sports, more importantly fights, was worth giving a try and I believed it was it was going to take over.

My fear was that my suggestion would fall on deaf ears and no one would embrace the new age of boxing broadcasting.

Little did I know that PBC and FOX would step up to the plate and make all my dreams come true. By overcharging for a card that literally had not one moment of real competition or quality I am pretty sure most boxing fans will join my friend mentioned above and never buy another PPV again.

And just in case someone has the bright idea that Errol Spence Jr. vs Manny Pacquiao is PPV worthy, I got news for you;
Errol Spence Jr. is to Manny Pacquiao as Manny Pacquiao was to Oscar De La Hoya.

Good luck trying to get anyone to buy that!

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.

By William Trillo

Back in the day, circa 1972, a cereal commercial aired on television that caught the attention of most of America. In the commercial two older bigger kids had no desire to test out the new cereal offering but instead pawned it off on their much smaller companion, “Mikey”. Thinking Mikey would want no part of it the bigger boys were dismayed when Mikey takes that bowl and devours the contents, all of it. It is then that the shocked brothers excitedly exclaim, “He likes it! Hey Mikey!”

Almost 50 years later that same scenario is playing out in the world of professional prize fighting. In this one the offering few desire to test is one Errol Spence Jr. (24-0, 21 KO’s). Currently Spence holds the IBF Welterweight title and in the eyes of many he is the best 147 pounder on the planet.

Who would dare want to take on this challenge?

Just like the commercial it is the little guy, Mikey Garcia (39-0, 30 KO’s) who has the challenge dangled in front of him, and likewise the little guy is willing to step up to the plate and gobble up the contents of the bowl.

Am I saying that Garcia is going to shock the boxing world tonight by defeating Errol Spence Jr.?

That’s exactly what I am saying!

On paper there is virtually nothing to lead anyone to believe that Mikey has one iota of a chance to defeat Spence Jr. But just like the Mikey of old, Garcia is about to shock everyone in the house.

Sometimes you just have to respect a fighter who is willing to take on a challenge far and above the call of duty. And sometimes you have to believe that he must see something he knows he can exploit and although rational thinking tells you otherwise, you are convinced the underdog will pull off the upset.

That is how I see it tonight!

With a combination of skill, speed, courage and gonads, Mikey is going to gobble up Spence in one of the biggest upsets in boxing in the new millennium.

Hey Mikey!

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.

By William Trillo

With his victory on Saturday night Dmitry Bivol (16-0, 11 KO’s) retained his WBA Light Heavyweight Title and now should finally get some well deserved respect and recognition. The young Russian with a thoroughbred pedigree proved his worth against the strong challenger Joe Smith Jr.(24-3, 20 KO’s). Bivol was dominant and almost dropped Smith in the final round. But let’s not forget that earlier in the fight Bivol was put to the test as a Smith Jr. bomb stunned and wobbled the young Champion. Proving he has what it takes, Bivol weathered the storm and went on to impress with his unanimous decision victory.

Truth be told, the jury was out on Bivol. Although no one would deny he was a natural talent there were more than a few who wondered aloud if Bivol could make it on the big stage. With a bevy of other Russian talent out there, Beterbiev, Kovalev and Gvodzyk, it appeared Bivol was going to have to take a back seat.

Not helping Bivol’s cause was his previous two performances. He won both fights by decision but his opponents, Jean Pascal and Isaac Chilemba, have a way of making a fighter look questionable even in victory.

But on Saturday night Bivol took on a big tough charge in Smith Jr. and the result was impressive. With the exception of that one moment when Smith buckled Bivol it was a fine performance for the young undefeated champion.

Looking ahead, with his new allegiance with DAZN and the prospect of some big name fights, Bivol appears to be on his way to becoming a true star. If he moves down to 168 pounds as speculated, I will go on record and say he will most likely clean out the division.

Boxing in 2019 is headed in a new direction. There is a real anticipation the sport is going to climb off the canvas and have a stellar resurgence. One of the fighters leading the way will be Dmitry Bivol. You can count on that.

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.