23.08.06 – By Mike Casile:(PBR)- The writing was on the wall for the Maskaev / Rahman fight, before they ever threw a punch. There can not be anyone, with a rational brain in their head, that would fork out $49.95, to see two unpopular Heavyweights duke it out, when the week before they watched a man get lose by a questionable decision on HBO, with little or no consequence. Why more journalists were not calling HBO, the judges, and the New York State boxing commission on the carpet. It was a disgrace. There is absolutely NO way Vernon Forrest beat Ike Quartey, in my opinion. There is NO company in the “pocket” of the Philadelphia Boxing Report. We tell you the way it is.
Let’s be clear about this: How can HBO PPV expect anyone to take the sport we all love so much seriously, when the judges at ringside, and these state commissions allow an abomination like we saw at Madison square Garden, between Ike Quartey and Vernon Forrest? How can we expect even the Hardcore fan, to fork out that kind of money, when people see a mess like they seen a week before. Fast money, quick and questionable decisions will destroy boxing. If I were involved in promoting the sport, I would be less worried about UFC, and Pride fighting, as far as the competition goes, I would be worried about the integrity they bring to the table, that boxing has seem to loss. This was not about the Rahman/Maskaev fight. The fight was good. They gave it their all. It was about what happened before, and what is sure to happen afterwards.
I was horrified, to see the amount of writers that had Quartey/Forrest close, or barely mentioned it. I was in the Garden; I saw Harold Lederman’s face. I knew this was, in my opinion, a crime and nobody really cared, except the people paying for the Rahman / Maskaev fight the following week. They cared big time, and showed it. For all you “so called” writers and broadcaster’s out there, that are worried about positioning, and credentials, tell it like is, or someday, there won’t be a fight to cover.
Mike Casile
WWW.Philaboxingreport.com
MikeCasile@philaboxingreport.com