I thought Showtime's
quadruple-header from the Home Depot Center provided some decent moments. It
wasn't a grand-slam but it wasn't an “O-fer” either. I thought Leo Santa Cruz's
star shined the brightest, as he won the IBF bantam belt by beating on Vusi
Malinga's body for 12 rounds. Austin Trout's points win over Delvin Rodriguez
was dreary and Peter Quillin's victory over Winky Wright had some interesting
moments. To top it off, the draw between Antonio Tarver and Lateef Kayode
became oddly entertaining in the second half.
Personally, I like this
concept because it gave an opportunity to young men like Santa Cruz that
otherwise may not have existed. What I would do is in the future with these
type of cards is to showcase more talent in the primes of their careers. While
Wright was very respectable (in what ended up being his last contest), Tarver's
next appearances on Showtime should be alongside Gus Johnson and Al Bernstein.
But I give Stephen Espinoza
and Showtime credit for putting this together. It certainly beats telecasts
that have only one live bout. As long as the delicate balance between quality
and quantity is adhered to, there is certainly a place for these types of
cards.
