Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) made their Amazon Prime Video debut Saturday night time and, it doesn’t matter what you considered the present, it’s a must to admit it’s a boxing-plus to see the corporate make headlines for precise fights relatively than outside-the-ring enterprise issues.
Listed below are this jaded dangerous man’s ideas on the present:
– Would Sebastian Fundora have walked away with a win on Saturday if not for that freak accident on the finish of the second spherical which noticed Tim Tszyu primarily headbutt Fundora’s pointy-ass elbow and crack open the highest of his personal head within the course of? I say– nope.
Tszyu was already discovering the reply to Fundora’s long-range sport plan when the incident occurred. Hell, he had already damaged Fundora’s nostril. With out the accident, I feel this struggle would possibly’ve gone into the eighth– perhaps—earlier than Tszyu laid him out for good.
After the blood began flowing and visibility turned severely restricted, although, the second-generation world champ started working at considerably lower than 100%. It could possibly be argued that Tszyu ought to’ve labored previous that and put a sooner and better squeeze on Fundora to get the struggle over and accomplished with. Fundora appeared there for the taking. It is also argued that Tszyu and/or his crew ought to’ve compelled the struggle to be referred to as. Nevertheless, the larger argument could possibly be that the Nevada State Athletic Fee, seeing Tszyu’s imaginative and prescient was vastly impaired, ought to’ve had the struggle stopped, at the least after giving his nook a spherical or two to cease the gushing. The end result of this struggle was a technicality constructed round a freak accident.
– Tainted victory or not, Fundora did nothing incorrect. He performed the playing cards dealt to him and walked away with Tszyu’s WBO belt in addition to the vacant WBC strap. However you recognize that there’s now going to be a mad sprint to get first crack at a weak defending champ carrying round two world title belts. Errol Spence was at T-Cell Enviornment for the present and was introduced into the ring, post-fight. Enterprise realities dictate that Spence might find yourself getting the primary shot at Fundora, even when there are at the least three next-fight opponents I can see as instantly extra deserving– Tszyu, Terence Crawford, and Jermell Charlo.
In an ideal world, I’d wish to see Fundora-Tszyu II and Spence-Erickson Lubin prime a 154 lb. double-header with the winners going through each other. On this not-so-perfect world, we might even see Fundora-Spence on the prime of a invoice with Tszyu headlining some exhibits again in Australia.
– PBC has now moved on to 154 like they did with 147 just a few years in the past. Most of the prime names at junior middleweight at the moment are both PBC or PBC-aligned fighters and three of the 4 present world titles belong to PBC fighters. Throw in Spence and even a cross-your-fingers, want on a capturing star probability at Keith Thurman really coming again they usually have some good depth within the division. It’s actually sufficient to tie up the highest of the division.
However this isn’t essentially a nasty factor. Keep in mind, when the corporate just about owned 147, we noticed Thurman, Danny Garcia, Shawn Porter, and Spence just about all struggle each other over just a few years’ span (besides Spence-Thurman). We even noticed them convey Manny Pacquiao, Yordenis Ugas, and finally Terence Crawford into the combo. We’ll have to attend and see how issues are pieced collectively within the coming months.
– Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz just about steamrolled Rolando “Rolly” Romero to take Romero’s WBA junior welterweight title through eighth spherical TKO. The dominant win makes you actually, actually remorse Subriel Matias’ determination to indicators with Matchroom. A Matias-Cruz unification would’ve been a real irresistible drive vs. immovable object traditional. As issues stand now, the largest fights for Cruz could be outdoors the PBC umbrella, though there’s all the time Ismael Barroso, who was screwed through fast stoppage in his bid for the vacant WBA belt in opposition to Rolly Romero final Might. Cruz-Barroso could be stellar, though it’s a must to assume that Cruz will now be searching for greater cash fights. Perhaps a Tank Davis rematch additionally comes into play. It must also be famous that, as I perceive it, Cruz is free to compete anyplace, for anybody, and isn’t essentially tied to preventing on PBC playing cards.
– Contemplate Rolly Romero a really lucky younger man who managed to parlay an enormous mouth and an enormous persona into a few big-money fights and a world title. This loss must be the tip of the road for him, at the least on the subject of “critical” fights. There was some hope that working with legendary Cuban coach Ismael Salas would assist him add some refinement to his sport. It didn’t. It’s onerous to ascertain a state of affairs the place he does something by any means in opposition to any of the highest canines at 140. Rolly will doubtless be cashed-out in opposition to fighters on the rise (Gary Antuanne Russell?) for so long as he might be cashed out, however the dream of elite-level stardom might be over.
– Talking of Rolly…His dazed, concussed “like Jesus resurrected, I’ll be again” post-fight interview will go down because the weirdest since Mike Tyson’s “spinal.” Oscar De La Hoya’s laughing social media response video (with a laughing cameo by Bernard Hopkins), gloating about Rolly’s KO loss, was actually classless, however under no circumstances sudden from a man whose post-fighting conduct screams “raging sociopath.”
– Oh yeah, and the way the fuck did choose Chris Flores have Rolly forward on the scorecards on the time of the stoppage? Verify that man for a mini-stroke.
– Erislandy Lara’s critics needed to wait for nearly a decade, however the object of their derision has lastly morphed into the fighter they all the time needed him to be. As soon as upon a time a slick stylist spoiler, the Cuban southpaw has turn out to be a banger with one-punch fight-ending potential. His second spherical KO of Michael Zerafa in protection of the WBA middleweight title was Lara’s fourth stoppage in his final 5 fights and his third in lower than two full rounds throughout that span. The lack of some reflexes and foot pace have pushed the 40-year-old into utilizing his skillful positioning and timing to raised sit down on his pictures and work an influence sport. With this shift in model and mindset, Lara nonetheless has an opportunity to make some waves on the elite stage of a reasonably shallow 160 lb. expertise pool. After all, he must be extra energetic to take action. This Zerafa win was his first struggle in practically two full years.
– Julio Cesar Martinez-Angelino Cordova had an actual “cock struggle” vibe to it. Martinez is a nasty little man, however he most undoubtedly must be off the once-a-year struggle plan. He walked by way of the very best of Cordova like somebody who had been simply itchin’ to fuck somebody up.
– Curmel Moton-Anthony Cuba and Serhii Bohachuk-Brian Mendoza the place good motion fights for the PBC on Prime free lead-up present. No complaints with these warm-ups in any respect. Bohachuk and Moton are bad-asses, however Mendoza and Cuba are additionally bad-asses in their very own proper and greater than welcome to make a reappearance someplace alongside the road.
– All in all, this debut PBC on Prime occasion was a reasonably good present with well-made, high quality fights all through the cardboard and the form of high-end manufacturing values that popped into thoughts when the PBC-Prime alliance was first confirmed. Extra free, much less PPV could be good, although. I can’t assist however get the sensation that this top-to-bottom high quality card goes to fall squarely into an “if a tree falls within the forest and there’s no one round to listen to it…” actuality.
Received one thing for Magno? Ship it right here: paulmagno@theboxingtribune.com
