• Bernard Hopkins (49-5-1, 32 KOs) pulled off a historic upset unanimous decision of Kelly Pavlik (34-1, 30 KOs) on Saturday night. The 43-year-old Hopkins won by scores of 119-106, 118-108 and 117-109 over the middleweight champ in a non-title fight fought at a 170-pound catchweight. For those who care, I saw it 116-110.
The fight was held at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., before 11,332 fans and televised on HBO PPV. This writer picked Pavlik to win a decision, and recommended in a column last week that viewers save their $49.95 in tough economic times.
But despite the shocking victory by Hopkins that is likely to be talked about for quite some time, I stand by my previous assessment.
Allow me to qualify that statement. If you were lucky enough to find one of those PPV parties that the suits were advocating before the fight and paid your fair share of $10 or less, I guess you came out OK.
Perhaps because I am just a curmudgeonly old man, I wasn't invited to any such parties nor do I have any knowledge of them. Sometimes I wonder if the hardcore boxing fan has 5-10 friends who share his passion, let alone willing to help pay to see boxing upon invitation. Personally I think more people were interested in Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live because I did hear people talk about that.
However, I want to learn and if you attended a PPV party, write me at mswann4@aol.com and tell me what it was like. If you took pictures, send those too.
If you are fortunate enough not to be affected by the state of the economy, then you go bro. I guess you have the freedom to do as you choose. But maybe you should have invited a half dozen or so indigent boxing fans over for a pro bono showing. On the other hand if your family has needs and a layoff looms on the horizon, you should just be ashamed of yourself.
Remember, there will always be PPV events as long as we keep buying them. As soon as we stop, there will be no more. In the interest of full disclosure, I did purchase the event, which I justified by thinking it was in the line of duty. My local cable company had some type of glitch that prevented the high-definition transmission, so I had to watch the fish bowl picture, probably my punishment.
• To further illustrate my point about PPV and value, let me say that something has to be done about these horrendous under cards that are forced on us.
Right after Michael Buffer kicked of the evening promising "a night of world class boxing," he introduced Tyrone Watson (7-2, 3 KOs), brought in on five days' notice to face highly touted Danny Jacobs (11-0, 10 KOs) in a six-round super middleweight fight.
That's world class boxing? A six rounder? Really? I paid $49.95 for this?
To no one's surprise, it's lights out for Watson at 2:29 of Round 1.
In the most -- actually, only -- competitive fight of the night, Mario Antonio Rubio (43-4-1, 38 KOs), escaped with a split decision win over Enrique Ornelas (28-5, 18) 115-113 and 116-112, with one 115-113 vote going to Ornelas. I saw it 114-114.
