Now
you hope that Marquez - an honorable fighter throughout his storied
career- in his zeal to defeat his rival, hasn’t gone rogue. Conte has
promised that he has gone on the straight and narrow. We don’t know
about Heredia/Hernandez, who aided select members of the highly
successful Jamaican track team which, in the world of track-and-field,
is under a heavy cloud of suspicion for its recent success. Perhaps he
has changed his ways but it is ironic that with all the rumors and
suspicion being fanned in the last couple of years regarding Manny
Pacquiao, Marquez has hired this man.
Will the real Angel Heredia/Hernandez please stand up?
DC TIX
OK, I got some more feedback regarding the ticket situation for the December 10th bout in Washington DCfeaturing Amir Khan-Lamont Peterson:
“Hi Steve,
I was online 2 hours after they went on sale and could find anything
for under $75. I was at the press conference announcing the fight as a
fan and one of the administrators of the convention center said capacity
could easily be expanded, perhaps even doubled. If the tickets
instantly sold out because of so much actual demand from the ticket
buying public, one would expect them to expand capacity. Even if it
really is demand issue and that were to happen I would then be concerned
that it would become oversold and the cheap seats would also be zero
view standing room only. I’ll be at the fight night of the year:
Cotto-Margs 2 at MSG the weekend before so I can certainly live without
being at Khan-Peterson. Besides, Gary Russell Jr. should absolutely be
on this card, he needs to develop a professional following here at
home. The ship has sailed already but fighting in Cincinnati against a nobody with highlights on HBO aren’t going to raise his Q factor.
Thank you for highlighting the ticket issue so quickly. Hopefully you will be heard and the DC market
not stillborn. I’ve been here for 5 years and talk boxing with a
handful, but not many people. The sport seems to be getting more buzz
lately and this event could be a great way to create a reliable market
of knowledgeable, passionate fight fans. DC is a town with great sports
fans but not a lot to root for among the franchises. A buddy of mine was
at the last big fight here, Tyson-McBride in 2005, and said the tickets
were extremely expensive and the fight and experience left the crowd
feeling ripped off. I am sure these fights will be better in the ring
than that night but my point is the reason it’s been so long is a
previous con job. Based on the public officials around here I’m sure the
sleaze of the boxing world are right at home.
Keep up the great coverage! Hope I get to catch a drink with you at Jimmy’s Corner after the fight, love that place!
Jon
DC”
Then there is our old friend, Vito, who emailed me back to tell me:
“Not to beat
a dead horse on this, but I was able to talk to a live Ticketmaster
agent over the phone and exchange my $25 tickets for the now available
$75 tickets. They said that usually they refuse refunds or exchanges but
that they would make an exception given the trouble I had on Friday.
So if there’s anybody else out there that bought $25 or $50’s back when
$75’s were not available... it appears that Ticketmaster will waive
their no exchanges rule. Now...if someone bought $150 tickets, I doubt
they’ll let folks downgrade but who knows.
Thanks for following up in your article today.
-- Vito”
FIGHT OF THE YEAR?
I saw this late Sunday night on
YouTube but I really think the bout between Akira Yaegashi and
Pornsawan Porpramook just might be the best fight of 2011. In a brutal
affair from the very onset, Yaegashi and Pornpramook waged a pitched
battle that saw them go back and forth for ten rounds before Yaegashi
subdued Pornpramook at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan for the WBA minimumweight title.
Round eight might be the most heated and violent three-minute stanza of the year.
This was the Asian version of Gatti-Ward.
TRICK OR TREAT FLURRIES
Ossie
Duran is never an easy out, is he?...Artemio Reyes may never become a
world champion but he’ll always be good TV...I thought Vanes Martirosyan
planted his feet a bit more than usual against Richard Gutierrez on Saturday night.
I wonder if he’s willing to do that against a higher grade of
opposition…So I guess if you took the under in the Kardashian-Humphries
marriage, you won...I still think the Eagles win the NFC East when it’s
all said and done...So Tony La Russa will never, ever manage again? I
have a hard time believing that...Seriously, “Boardwalk Empire” is
getting bloodier and gorier ever week...Top Rank is holding Feb. 11th for Nonito Donaire’s next outing...
