24.03.06 – By Izyaslav “Slava” Koza: Before anybody starts accusing me of buying into the hype, let’s make one thing clear: I’m not, but that doesn’t change the fact that Augustus has paid his boxing dues, and I mean in full. When I say that, I don’t mean he has “managed” his way to the top, and you guys know full well what I mean when I say that. Just look at his opposition, look at the number of fights, and then ask yourself who else in their right mind, in this day and age does this sort of thing?
Sure, back in the peak of pugilism, guys would routinely fight often, on short notice and as fodder against top opposition. Routinely, the old timers had 20+ losses and were greats because when they were thrown in with great opposition, they swam rather than sunk. Now I won’t go overboard and claim he has fought some of the legends of the sport, but consider the amount of losses and the amount of good wins, a fighter doesn’t just come back from a beat down to win fights period and time and time again Augustus has, routinely on short notice. When I say “beat down,” I don’t mean one where his opponent hands him his backside but a mental one where the judges, and referee do.
I won’t get into the robbery controversy issue too much because you don’t get robbed 26 times in 26 fights, but I will make one point. When a guy like Augustus gets up off the couch to go rescue some promoter from a stadium full of an angry Roman crowd (and we all know I mean “save” in the true sense of the word), he does so with virtually no prep time. Sure, all these great prospects in mega fights, and all their fights, take their opponent seriously and train their backsides off and that is commendable, but we can’t expect to see Augustus at his best fight after fight if he is trying to earn a living with a 20+ loss record. In that sense, even some of his losses that were real are excusable.
Enter Ricky Hatton, unquestionably the man at 140, who is coming off not one, but count them two actual high profile wins. To me, this is the guy that was fighter of the year last year and for good reason. Both Kostya and Gollum (Maussa) were coming off huge KO wins and Hatton stopped both, which is good enough details aside. He is looking for an American fight and Augustus is the off fight for him. Let’s not pretend that nowadays fighters still don’t carry over that old school “fight often but against no hopers” mentality to stay busy. Problem with that is, for one, promoters try to sell those fights as “big,” and two, Augustus is considered by many to be a journeyman, on paper. Sure, like I said, I don’t think he will win and sure it might even be one sided, as the Mayweather-Augustus fight was, but there is one thing you can’t take away from that bout, and that is it was fun. Augustus lost most of the rounds, but got in his share of damage and made Mayweather prove he was better, not just go through the motions. It wasn’t a total wash out, and to prove it I do believe PBF called Augustus his “toughest fight ever,” and that is surprising considering the PPV Gatti debacle (sarcasm folks).
That said, supposedly Augustus will be willing to take the fight for only 50 grand down and no monthly payments, so where is the financial risk? How rare is it these days that a fight can ONLY make a profit?
Buffer, or Lennon only have to mention Augustus’s losses once, and they can even make this as a small time ppv for 20 bucks or so. Mention how Augustus stopped Olivera before the Hitman did in terms of rounds and hit him with a double punch and there is your commercial right there (insert clip of Augustus hitting Olivera with the double punch, with the catch phrase “Can the “Hitman” hit like that?).
Now, I know smart people think Augustus is fan made hype, but won’t it be worth it to pay 20 just to see him supposedly get dismantled live on TV? I would pay a small fee like that and according to a recent poll (hint: you know what I mean) I think so would many fans out there. Bill it as the “Fan’s Choice: Augustus vs. Hatton,” because half of us want to see Augustus get PPV exposure and apparently the other half wants to see him get exposed as all talk and no walk, so where is the harm? Seeing is believing.
That said, the only thing I want to see besides the actual fight, is Augustus taking it seriously. I don’t mean saying so and then dropping a decision for the heck of it; I mean training for it and getting some pro bono support from a good trainer. I want to see that as a fan because I truly believe that can help Augustus, if not win but at least make it as good a fight as he can, and bring out the best in Hatton. I don’t make no allusions, seeing as I think Hatton, after beating Kostya, is real quality. He is a ferocious guy who, although borders on wrestling at times, still gets the job done, and best of all, doesn’t act like a bastard about it.
So, come on, Ricky, it’s not just Augustus calling you out anymore, me and a bunch of wanker American fans are doing it, too. You’re a great fighter, and if you gotta take a breather in between a super fight, then take out Augustus, who will add fame to your name, and not cause you whipped him, or he whipped you, but because you gave a deserving journeyman (who, including Willy Chapman, Sam Solimon and Glen Johnson, is one of the few truly deserving ones out there) an old school shot at a true old school title, i.e., the one and only one. If you do agree to fight him, though, don’t breath too easy, it might cost ya a bloody nose. Just ask Floyd Mayweather.
As for Hatton’s other potential opponents, no offense to Naofuel Ben Rabah, but I don’t know who the heck he is, even if he did just beat the guy who gave Augustus his last controversial loss. Face the facts, People, Emanuel Augustus has fought his way to the top and sometimes, as it did not in the old days, that does not mean beating hand picked opponents, but winning and losing as a hand picked one. The reason he has “fought” and not “managed” his way to the top, is he likes to keyword “fight,” and you and I damn well know we like to watch it.
P.S. To all writers out there, if you agree with me about Augustus getting his shot, then don’t just sit there but write about it; this is one of the few guys out there that should truly get fan support.