by Ten rounds of searching for the mute button to keep any Crawford-Spence talk off my timeline…
10. The biggest news this week was the public collapse of negotiations between Jose Ramirez and Regis Prograis, who were ordered by the WBC to contend for the 140-pound title Prograis won last month. After initially ordering a 70-30 share on any bag offer -Ramirez’s promoter, Top Rank and Prograis’ representatives at Probellum have no working relationship and the only way to negotiate a deal is to place a bid – WBC does it 65- It got it to 35. . That wasn’t enough for Ramirez, a former champion with a larger profile than Prograis, who chose to hand over the challenge.
On Thursday, I asked Ramirez to explain his decision.
“I have minimums with Top Rank,” Ramirez says. “They are in excess of $1 million. If we can get a deal that reaches $1 million, $1.5 million, I’ll take the challenge. But 35% is too risky. That could mean something like $300,000. That does not make sense.”
With Top Rank moving forward with a plan for Ramirez to face off against Richard Commey, a former 135-pound titleholder, Ramirez has made it clear that if Prograis’ side can come up with an offer that meets what he believes is a reasonable asking price, it’s his. still willing to fight.
“If they make me an offer that exceeds the $1 minimum, I will fight,” Ramirez says. “He doesn’t even need to get over it. Assure me, I’ll do my best and fight.”
9. In Ramirez’s absence, the WBC decided that Prograis could receive an optional title defense. His next mandatory fight is former 135-pound champion Teofimo Lopez, who came out with a competitive win over Sandor Martin this month. in a text message SILopez says he wants the fight. “Of course mate!” Wrote Lopez. “What kind of question is that? I want to be a two-time undisputed world champion and be the first male boxer to do so in boxing history.” Don’t count on that fight to happen, though, with a bag-sharing probably similar to the one offered to Ramirez.
8. Absolutely devastated by the death this week of Hall of Fame referee Steve Smoger, who in recent years has successfully transitioned into a referee/trial analyst for broadcast networks. Smoger was a fighting referee who was willing to give boxers a fighting chance to get out of trouble. In 2007, Smoger was third in Jermain Taylor’s middleweight title defense against Kelly Pavlik. Pavlik was knocked down and injured in the second round. Another referee could have stopped it. Smoger didn’t. Pavlik bounced back and knocked out Taylor in the seventh round, the signature win of his career.
As an analyst, a position he recently assumed at DAZN, Smoger was not afraid to criticize his former colleagues when necessary; none Sport. Smoger was loved as much as anyone in boxing. His kindness and good nature outside of the ring defined his legacy as much as everything else he did. Condolences to his family.
7. It’s embarrassing that Gervonta Davis continues to baselessly accuse Ryan Garcia of using performance enhancers. Davis first accused Garcia of using a PED earlier this month when he noticed a picture of Garcia standing next to Tim Tszyu, a 154-pound competitor. Last week, boxing’s top tweeter-and-delete writer used Garcia’s decision to abandon the fight to stay busy next month as an excuse to quote a tweet from an internet troll who suggested that Garcia’s decision to skip the fight was due to “throwing out the juice.” used. For what it’s worth, both Garcia and Golden Boy Promotions said SI They’re on board for advanced testing for the Davis fight.
6. Savannah Marshall told Sky Sports this week that she activated a rematch clause with Claressa Shields, who defeated Marshall with an all-female card in London in October. Technically, Marshall has no rematch provision; Boxxer, the event’s organizer, is doing just that, and Shields’ team has been notified of his intention to do so.
According to sources, Shields is open to rematch SI, but members of his team, including former HBO executive Mark Taffet, would prefer that both fighters do other fights before doing it again. Shields plans to box in March or April – combined 154-pound champion Natasha Jonas is Shields’ biggest goal – before returning to the Professional Fighters League for at least one MMA fight next summer. An intriguing challenge for Marshall could be Franchon Crews-Dezurn, the undisputed 168-pound champion and close friend of Shields.
5. Another Terence Crawford-Errol Spence Jr. Is he indifferent to his fight? Spence announced on a Showtime broadcast last weekend that his next fight will be delayed to “May or June” as a result of a minor car accident that Spence was involved in earlier this month. If that happens—it’s been widely reported that Spence will defend his titles against his longtime rival Keith Thurman—it means a Crawford fight won’t be in the fall if it can be negotiated. Crawford will push 36 by then, career-long middleweight Spence may be ready to move up. It’s going to be a big fight whenever Spence-Crawford happens. But officially it will never be what it could be.
4. Shout out to Larry Goldberg, the record promoter of Boxing Insider’s Holiday Fight Night, for putting on an amazing show at Sony Hall in New York on Wednesday. Club shows don’t get the attention of some of the big cards, but they’re lively, entertaining and vital to the growth of the sport. Wednesday’s show features former contender Anthony Sims (picking a win over Antonio Todd), 115-pound contender Sulem Urbina (losing a competitive decision to Indeya Smith), and flyweight contender Andy Dominguez (up 9-0 with a win). took. Marvin Solano). Goldberg, who is Lou DiBella’s assistant, says he has two more concerts he is working on in February and April.
3. Jermall Charlo has only fought once since September 2020. But it’s ridiculous that the WBC allowed Charlo to pledge her 160-pound title. Charlo must defend his title against the temporary titleholder, Carlos Adames, or be stripped of it. If the WBC wants to be taken seriously as a sanctioning body, it must act like it.
2. Outstanding performance by lightweight contender Frank Martin last weekend. Facing an undefeated, top-ranked contender, Michel Rivera, Martin dominated and knocked Rivera out of proportion in the seventh round. Errol Spence Jr. Promoted by (I might add) Martin says he’s ready for a 135-pound championship game. Calling Martin, Chris Colbert, a 130-pound former titleholder, thinks the next step is natural.
1. Bob Arum, or whoever tweeted on behalf of Arum, 91, said he had a “great meeting” this week with undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney and his father/coach Bill Haney and said they were “prepared for a great 2023”. Interestingly, Arum did not specifically mention a title defense against Vasyl Lomachenko, a proposed matchup that caused some friction between Haney and Top Rank. While Haney wants the fight to be held in March before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Top Rank seems to prefer to postpone the fight until May. I hope the last dialogue between Haney and Top Rank clears up any issues and
