Times Square fights: Why elite boxers are no longer enough

Has Ryan Garcia Regained his senses of rationality?

Or Jose Ramirez, His Hunger?

Can Devin Haney Take a punch?

And which version of Teofimo lopez Shows up?

Friday’s truly interesting times square card should provide some preliminary answers. But to me, the issue of the Greatest Consequence has to do with the guy no one’s talk about: Arnold Barboza Jr

Unlike His Oppon, Lopez – WHO, when he is right, remains as electric a talent as there is in all of Boxing – Barboza does not get much buzz. He’s not a social media star, never even a public meltdown. Actually, he’s something of a novelty here: Just a figure, albeit a pretty good one-33 years old, and at 32-0, ridiculously overdue for a world shot. The rules have changed Since Barboza Debuted Back in 2013. Apparently, be just just good figure is no longer good evening.

Still, The Question Going Forward – Especial Germane for the Principals of this Nascent Tko Boxing League, UFC Boss Dana White, WWE President Nick Khan (Full Disclosure: My Former Agent) and the Guy With the bankroll, the saudi financier turki alalshikh – is: can that change? Being a figure is a plenty tough gig – you risk your life, after all – without having to be some kind of online provocateur. Is there a construct that simply allows good figures to be good figures, and from their midst, as will inevitably happen, comes the occasional great one?

Put Another Way, Can You Make Boxing a Sport Again?

“When I Debuted,” Says Barboza, of El Monte, California, “Social Media Wasn It’s Even Thing. In fact, barboza had been in line for a world title shot go back to 2019, when top-rank Promoter Bob Arum Mental Him as a Likely Next Oppon for Thin-WBC Junior Welterweigh champion To Ramirz’s credit, however, he wont instead to Texas, added maurice hooker’s title to his collection and barboza want (Top Rank’s Preferred Sension Body) in pursuit of a belt.

Sure Enough, Barboza has won some good figures that end, most recently upsetting English Southpaw Jack Catterall in Manchester, England. He is now the “Interim” Champion, one of Several support Wbo Distinctions He has earned of the way, including the organization’s “international” and “international” titles. These secondary belts may see the trinkets – certainly they afford the figure protection against a draft as he made Walk – but even so interested an observer as an arnold barboza sr. His Son’s Trainer and ErstWhile Manager, Fails to Distinguish Among Them. “To me, they all of the same,” he says, referring to the customs sanctioning fee. “Three percent [sanctioning fee] Of the purse. “

The Sanctioning Bodies – Let’s be clear, all of them – are about pay to play. You want to be a contender? Ante up. Meanwhile, Barboza-A top-5 guy for the most of this decade and the WBO’s no. 1-ranked figure at 140 pounds Since June 2023-Has jumped through all the hoops he has been requested to-thought he did pass on a pretty good figure from Chicago Named Kenny Sims Jr. That was January 2022, Per My Sources, when Barboza was ranked no. 3 by the WBO. Sims, Like Barboza, was considered Just A figure, thought then known for his upset of elvis rodriguez. Problem was, sims was ranked by the WBO.

“I needed a Top-5 guy, that’s what I kept asking for,” says Barboza. “What good was that gonna do me?”

THERE LIES The FIGHTERN’S DILEMMA. Are you listening, tko? Where should he rank-and-file contenders who Tithe 3% of their purses risk all those years and all that money to figure guys who cans to be close to the title?

That’s not to say, in any way, barboza is a duck. In addition to catterall, his wines include the aforemented former champ ramirez, who defeated he defeated by unanimous decision in riyadh, saudi arabia; The tricky and experienced Jose Pedraza; The then-indefited and equally tricky danielito zorrilla; And an Especial Hard Hitter, also underfeated and then at the cusp of a title shot, Alex Saucedo.

“That was my toughest fight,” Barboza concedes. The Underdog, Barboza Went Down in Round 7, but nevertheless Won a unanimous decision In a brutal fig. It says something about barboza (and explains, perhaps, why guys are less than figuring he But does Test Them Body and Soul.

Certainly, Saucedo, a Fairsome Puncher, Will Never Forget. A brain bleed he suffered that night caused him to retire. (By the way, if you always want the unvarnished truth, what a figure, or Just a figureendures in a forced retirement, suddenly searching for an identity, try “saucedo” on Netflix.)

So I call saucedo, wondering if he has a rooting interest here: barboza, the figure who vanquished him, or Lopez, who Might Afford Him some Measure of Reveng.

“I don’t know,” he says. “I kind of list interest in boxing.

Bad blood with barboza? I wonder.

“Not at all,” he says. “I am very thankful i get out of that f — ing business.”

Saucedo has Two Happy Kids, 11 and 6, a Good Construction job and a college course next that will one day enable him to be a project manager on job. “Tell you the truth, I feel bad for a lot of these guys who are fighting now.” Not the stars, he means, but figures like him, or barboza, or sims for that matter. “Most of Them Just Gotta Keep Being and Begging and Being and Being.”

And posting. “It’s all about charisma, Selling yourself,” He says disgustedly. “That Social Media, it’s wicked. “

Admittedly, saucedo had no talent for it. Then Again, He was alone.

“Kind of funny,” he says. “I remember they say the same thing about terence crawford.”