By: Sean Crose

Let’s face info, it was not a great battle. Certainly, it could effectively have been the worst battle I’ve ever seen and I’ve been a fan for the reason that late 70s. Sure, Thursday night time’s WBC light-weight championship bout between Shakur Stevenson and Edwin De Los Santos actually was that unhealthy. Neither man threw many punches. What’s extra, the favored Stevenson didn’t appear eager about throwing many punches. His resolution to battle on autopilot in entrance of a booing viewers earlier than ESPN cameras could effectively injury his general repute considerably. That may appear draconian, however it’s what it’s. Stevenson gained honest and sq., but when that’s how he desires to battle, nobody will wish to watch.

It’s a tricky state of affairs to be in, frankly. A boxer’s job is to win whereas attempting to not get damage. Nobody must be reminded of what a harmful sport that’s, so it’s laborious to fault a fighter for enjoying it protected. Then again, enjoying it protected is just not all the time interesting to an viewers. Floyd Mayweather might pull it off. Pernell Whitaker might pull it off. Willie Pep might pull it off. They, nonetheless, could also be about it. Muhammad Ali and Ray Leonard, in spite of everything, had been in a position to prove the lights in addition to interact in slick preventing. The identical goes for Ray Robinson.

And Stevenson is left with a selection. Ought to he proceed to have interaction in sleep inducing fights, even often, he can say good by to being a giant identify. That will admittedly be unlucky, as the person is a world class expertise, however nobody goes to look at one other outing just like the one they did on Thursday night. With that being stated, Stevenson himself has referred to his “unhealthy efficiency” on Thursday, so it’s apparent even he wasn’t happy together with his work. The factor for the New Jersey native to do now (if he desires to be a well-liked ring attraction) is to get again within the ring quickly, not in six months. Quickly. The faster folks overlook about this final bout, the higher for his profession.

Yet another fast be aware – Stevenson wasn’t alone in lulling everybody to sleep on Thursday. De Los Santos actually wasn’t partaking in a Tysonesque efficiency. Much more troubling, ESPN determined to attend till midnight on the east coast to get Stevenson-De Los Santos began. Like Stevenson, ESPN has a selection on the place they wish to go transferring ahead. And not using a good excuse, there’s no good cause to maintain followers up till midnight to ensure that them to listen to the sound of the opening bell of a foremost occasion.