Everything But Poker

There is something about a marquee boxing match that pulls in even the most casual fan. I should know – I am one of them. Ever since Evander Holyfield knocked out Mike Tyson in 1996, boxing has drawn my interest once or twice a year, but only when a big name fighter is up to defend his crown. Some years those highly anticipated fights warrant the anxiety-filled countdown – the three weeks before the match when both fighters flaunt their skills and their trainers boast that “the champ’s in the best shape of his life.” The scripts are nearly identical each time, but the untold stories behind those words are what make the fights worth watching.

Two nights ago I watched a phenomenal ESPN documentary called “Muhammad and Larry” chronicling Ali’s second-to-last fight, a monumental thumping by the hands of then-WBC heavyweight champ Larry Holmes. The fight itself was abysmal, as thorough a beating as there ever was. But the footage in the documentary of the two men preparing for the fight – one sure that he would win, the other battling the urge to admit his mortality – told a completely different story. With that insight, spectators in 1980 would have seen the fight as an epic tragedy, as the stubborn demise of a legend with immeasurable pride. They probably would have been more copacetic with seeing Holmes win by TKO in the fourth round than what actually happened. But the fans (and the ref) wouldn't give up on the fight early because Ali's history suggested he might somehow come back. Instead, Ali took a severe beating until his corner made the ref call the fight after the 10th round.

Those back-stories are present in every fight, but some just resonate more than others. Now, thanks to HBO, we will have access to more footage for the Nov. 14 bout between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto than those Ali-Holmes fans could have dreamt of. HBO’s 24/7 series, which airs each Sunday night leading up to the fight, gives us, the casual fans, an intimate look into the training and mental preparation of both of these fighters. One is attempting to make a name for himself by defending his welterweight crown against another, whose ascension through the weight classes is leading toward a match against Floyd Mayweather, considered the best pound-for-pound fighter around today. Whether Pacquiao ever gets that chance depends almost entirely on his performance against Cotto, a bigger fighter set to take the biggest stage of his career.

Stick with Everything But Poker for coverage of both camps, as well as Cotto and Pacquiao’s media days, which will be held next week in Los Angeles.