More than 3,500 tickets already sold for Abdullah Mason’s July 4th title defense in Cleveland against Joe Cordina, I’m told. Ringside already sold out. Mason, Tiger Johnson, proving to be a draw in northeast Ohio.
New column on the Substack. Remember, real independent media acts with real independence and real balls:
"Here’s the quiet part out loud: Boxing is boring as fuck right now"
Link in Bio.
I remember those days fondly and never thought that they would ever go away. But they have, and the shrinking visibility has taken a terrible toll on the sport in the U.S. where I live. Walls -- pay walls to be exact -- have blocked general sports fans from accessing the sport's best and the youth from experiencing the thrill of a "first-view Thunderbolt Moment" like I did with Duran-DeJesus II on ABC back in 1974.
Seeing those shows on such a regular basis -- ABC's "Wide World of Sports," CBS' "Sports Spectacular" and NBC's "SportsWorld" -- created such a strong imprint that my fandom has survived the transition to the virtually "all-pay" universe that reigns today. I was lucky to experience the exposure structure of the 1970s, which inspired me to turn my passion into my profession.
Make no mistake: For all my negative talk in recent years about the state of boxing, I still love the sport. I love talking and writing about its history because it is so rich with stories and memories. Thankfully, I will get a chance to do much more of it next week as the @BoxingHall will hold its annual Induction Weekend. God willing, I will see you there!
NEW FROM ME:
Keyshawn Davis entered the WBO's welterweight ratings at No. 1, circumventing a clash at 140 with close friend Shakur Stevenson that both men insisted never would happen.
I examine that and other ratings changes on Fighting Words Boxing: https://t.co/YnAAlHy8Xd
My in-depth feature on @tiarabrownbox is now online!
Spotlighted at last: Tiara Brown on her MVP debut, facing Scotney, Baumgardner and Serrano
https://t.co/6Ada7FGbhx
Frank Espinoza with the mystical boxing rat tail. Gonna need to put together a list of the 10 Best Boxers with Rat Tails, aren't I?
Who's your nominee?