By Jeff Meyers: Maybe it’s just the dog days of summer approaching, but I can’t help but feel that a general feeling of malaise plagues the Sweet Science.
A large portion of this vague, unfocused feeling of mental uneasiness stems from the growing realization that a Floyd Mayweather, Jr.-Manny Pacquiao bout is unlikely to ever take place. Worse yet, even if it did, it wouldn’t have a fraction of the significance it would’ve had even a year or so ago. Floyd Mayweather Jr., while still undefeated, is nearing the end of a fantastic career. And Pacquiao-also in the twilight of his stellar career-has been pounded so much over the past few fights that many have changed their position as to the outcome of a fight that should have been made and fought years ago.
And the heavyweights? Business as usual: the Klitschkos dominating with no worthy challenger on the horizon. David Haye v. Vitali (“Dr. Ironfist”) Klitschko would be a fun fight to watch, but I don’t think many people are banking on Haye stepping up to take that fight unless the BBC agrees to give “The Hayemaker” 50% of their profits for the next fifty years.
Where is the excitement?
Canelo Alvarez and Yuriokis Gamboa are fun to watch, but neither have advanced far enough in their career to make the casual fight fan take notice. Kelly (“The Ghost”) Pavlik is gone, and Bernard Hopkins can’t fight forever (and let’s be honest, his fights are not the most enjoyable to watch anyway).
There is one truism to which boxing fans can cling: History Repeats Itself. And boxing history has shown us time after time that, just when people are ready to write off the sport as irrelevant, some talented pugilist comes along to excite the public even for a brief moment.
Hopefully that shooting star will come sooner than later.
jakeameyers@gmail.com