Boxing

 

The $100,000 Question: Thunderbox or Thunderjunk?

By Wes Moore

29.10 - The mind of Cedric Kushner has produced a new spawn of his sometimes-laughable Thunderbox series. The series is now going Pay-Per-View with a slightly better range of combatants. The event is set up to be an eight-man tournament that will occur on November 30th. The fights will each consist of three rounds with winners moving on in a single elimination format. The prize for this event is $100,000 dollars with no runner up awards. The fights can be considered little more than exhibitions and the fights will not included in the records of the fighters. The series will make for a good debate for hardcore heavyweight junkies but does it have any relevance?

Thunderbox is based on a simple formula. Heavyweight boxing + decent looking women + flash lighting + trendy music = ratings. The formula has yet to bear much fruit in its current form. The competitors are a mix of low level club fighters and fringe contenders who can often provide decent action in the purest aspect of the contest. However, it is the combination of giving the boxers silly names, pairing them with valets, and filming cheesy vignettes that have left most feeling cold about the Kushner experiment. Don't get me wrong because I like many fighters who have fought under the Thunderbox banner. The series has showcased some worthwhile heavies such as Atila Levin, Shannon Briggs, and Ray Austin. Now the label is being expanded to include some former Thunderbox alums and some decent second tier heavyweights in the PPV setting.

The field includes Jeremy Williams, Maurice Harris, Ray Austin, Kali Meehan, Tim Witherspoon, Derrick Jefferson, and two fighters to be added. I like the format. The way that the tournament is set up the competitors must get to work in a hurry and stay active. It could get exciting because there are a couple of KO artists in the field. But do we as the paying public really want to pay $19.95 for seven exhibitions and the rap/hip-hop stylings of Xzibit and Eve? In my opinion the answer is no. The idea of Thunderbox on Pay Per View even with some better fighters doesn't jump out at me as a must see event. It's somewhat like the old saying: "If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck it's probably a duck." It's still a duck even if you get a more impressive duck and charge you to look at him. The project is an intriguing experiment and it will be interesting to see how it pans out. I could be sold on the idea depending on whom Kushner finds to fill the final two slots. I've got a few ideas.

It is Thunderbox so how about the soon to be comebacking Jimmy Thunder. This whole idea of a one-man tournament has materialized before with Tony Tubbs as the winner so why shouldn't he try to do it again.

The field could be filled out with Thunderbox veterans Levin, Briggs, Tye Fields, or the ever-active Sederick Fields. What about Corey "T Rex" Sanders? Tommy Martin? Rob Calloway? Friday Ahunanya? The possibilities and I make some of these tongue in cheek but I wouldn't mind seeing any of these guys step into the fray.

It should be interesting to see the results. Any exposure for the division is good on some level and this should be no different than some other experiments from years gone by. I applaud Kushner for his entrepeneurship and wish all of the competitors luck but I doubt I'll be forking out the dough on November 30th. I'll have to admit, though, I am intrigued. You can reach me at largedog@bellsouth.net and until next time watch out for the upper cut behind the jab.

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