POOR-THETIC
ESPN2 July 5 Show a Complete Disgrace to boxing
By Moncayo Blackbull

DENVER (July 7, 2006) - This past Wednesday ESPN2 aired a boxing show from Colorado Springs, Colorado promoted by Northeast promotions and a Jewboy promotion that was so pathetic commentators had to talk about fights that took place the previous week in order to get any boxing excitement for the show.

The broadcast started with David Medina from Junction City, Kansas fighting for the WBC USA super welterweight against Charles Blake who is listed fighting out of Escondido, California.

Now here is the kicker, Medina is managed and promoted by one of the promoters of this event. Medina came into this fight with a record of 10-1 5ko’s, although he does not have a recognizable name on his record or the fact that he has never fought in a ten round fight, Medina has a respectable record. So why not fight for the WBC title?

Well let’s look at the opponent that was approved by the WBC, ESPN, and Colorado Boxing Commission and put forth by Medina’s promoter. Blake came into the fight with a record of 8-6-1 3Ko’s. Blake, like Medina had never fought in a 10 round contest, Blake had lost his previous 3 fights and knocked out in the last 2. Does not sound like someone that should be showcased on national T.V. much less fighting for a WBC title.

I’m not sure what the WBC, ESPN, or the Colorado Boxing Commission expected from this fight but what they got was about 2 minutes of embarrassment. The promoter certainly got what he expected, an indirect purchase of a title.

Did I mention Blake is 35 years old? I must have forgotten.

With the program just under way, the viewing audience gets treated to a few extra commercials and get to see Teddy and Joe put on their “Kill Time” faces as the swing bout is being prepared.

Enter the swing bout… Marvin Cordova (11-0 7ko’s) versus Canadian Darelle Sukerow (13-15-1 5ko’s) Yes, you guessed it, Cordova the promoters fighter.

Swing bouts are basically the “pick me up” bouts. In the event of early ending contest the swing bout comes in to fill the gap. With boxing fans just settling on the front room recliners, there is a lot of "fill time" to fill for ESPN.

Ok, Cordova and Sukerow get underway, take anther sip of the barley pop and get comfortable this fight is scheduled for six rounds of boxing. Wrong! Sukerow gets hit with a glancing blow in the first round and goes down. Now let’s give Sukerow the benefit of the doubt, what looked to be a glancing blow may have been just a bad camera angle. After all we are not the ones in the ring. But after a terrible “stumbling to get up” act by Sukerow, I can’t blame the camera angle.

Start gulping that barley pop, two fights into the program and you’re still on your first beer and the Pizza has yet to arrive. Thus far, you’ve seen more advertisements than boxing action and you haven’t seen any, absolutely no competitive action.

So far the ESPN show has to be rated “P” for PATHETIC

Right about now the conversation in the front room is going to “Hey you didn’t happen to tape the Oscar fight did you?”

This show has advanced from “bring out the swing bout” to bring out the entire swing set, including the slide and ringers (ESPN right about now is hoping that one of the opponents turns out to be a ringer.)

No luck… Out next contest featured somewhat of a name fighter, the son of former cruiserweight champion Carlos DeLeon, Carlos DeLeon Jr. (14-1-2 11ko’s) against Oscar Montano (2-6-1 1ko). Montano may not have been the ringer ESPN was hoping for but he did manage to make it out of the first round.

Just about two minutes into the second round Montano catches a shot to the mid section that puts him down. While referee Curtis Thrasher turned to ringside officials to catch the count, Montano kicks him on the leg motioning to his throat indicating he could not breathe. No need to count, Thrasher stops the contest.

Right now the person at ESPN in charge of authorizing these bouts may be having a little trouble breathing, loosening his tie and wiping the little sweat balls forming on his forehead.

The doorbell rings and everyone in the front room runs to answer in anticipation of a hot Pizza. No Pizza just another friend asking “Did I miss anything?”

The main event featured Belfast N. Ireland’s Neil Sinclair (28-5 23 ko’s) versus Jerome Ellis (11-4-1) from Nassau, Bahamas by way of Coconut Creek, Florida.

This contest saved the show from being an entire heartbreaking broadcast. The fight went into the sixth round and was a nice competitive fight. Don’t get me wrong it was not a barn burner or anything to write home about but it was at least a competitive and entertaining fight.

Ellis upset Sinclair with a “Palm to the rib” shot that put Sinclair down for the count. Initially I questioned the heart of Sinclair since he seemed to be winning the fight but after the slow motion replay you could see where the palm of Ellis’ left hand dug and stretched back the rib cage of Sinclair. A tough shot for Sinclair.

After seeing Sinclair in action it was understandable why they would not fight Colorado’s fighters Donald Camarena or any of the Mora brothers (Anthony and Adrian). When original opponent Jesse Feliciano fell through, Camarena was offered to step in.

Rocky Mountain Boxing.com, a Colorado boxing web site asked the promoter’s representative why Camarena was not taken to fight Sinclair and the response was that ESPN did not want Camarena. Hmmm. Let me get this straight… ESPN approves Charles Blake and Jerome Ellis but shoots down Camarena a fighter that has fought multiple times on ESPN?

It was only last year that Camarena fought in Denver on ESPN on a Golden Boy Promotion and defeated Jorge Alberto Padilla in a title defense of his WBC Continental Americas crown. Camarena also fought Paulie Malignaggi on ESPN where he lost his belt.

My inclination is promoters where trying to get a respectable opponent for Sinclair that would make a good showing but not win. I don’t believe Camarena or the Mora brothers were ever submitted to ESPN as opponents.

With the Sinclair versus Ellis fight somewhat saving the show, ESPN would have been better off ending the broadcast early and showing highlights of past ESPN fights but instead decided to show another undercard bout.

In a female minimum weight contest, Chantel Cordova (4-0 3ko’s) faces Unity Young (0-2), a fighter she had just stopped on March 24 of this year in the first round. It was no different this time around as Cordova showed she has boxing skills and Young showed she needs a lot of work before she gets back into the ring. Fight ends one minute into the first round.

ESPN now has no choice but to end the broadcast early...

This show may very well go down in history as the worst boxing telecast of ESPN history. My final grade for this show would be a “D” for disaster.

All bouts on this show were approved by Colorado boxing Commission, The telecast portion of the show had the blessing of ESPN and the WBC received their sanctioning fee and approved the title bout.

ESPN’s main sponsor Just for Men may be the only ones to come out ahead on this show. For I’m sure plenty of people involved in this show as well as the boxing fans watching gained a few White hair.

More Pizza anyone?