Usually when we promote a Pay-Per-View boxing event in Channel Guide Magazine, we have an office pool to see who picks the date closest to when the fight gets canceled. (OK, we don’t. But we probably should.) Boxing’s highly anticipated fall schedule has gotten off to a rocky — no pun intended — start. First, the Sept. 15 Fernando Vargas vs. Ricardo Mayorga PPV fight was scrapped when Vargas was found to have anemia. And last Friday, the Sept. 8 “Fireworks” card featuring Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Rocky Juarez got dumped when Marquez developed an infection in a cut on his hand. Vitali Klitschko was to have a comeback fight against Jameel McCline on Showtime Sept. 22, but that’s also off because Klitschko suffered a back injury in training.
Vargas vs. Mayorga has been rescheduled for Friday, Nov. 23, the day after Thanksgiving. A Friday PPV fight is unusual, but it will probably do well since many people have a four-day weekend anyway. Marquez vs. Juarez is rescheduled for Nov. 3, now on Showtime instead of PPV.
Other fights this fall awaiting cancellation are:
Jermain Taylor vs. Kelly Pavlik, HBO (Sept. 29)
Oleg Maskaev vs. Samuel Peter, Showtime (Oct. 6)
Manny Pacquiao vs. Marco Antonio Barrera, PPV (Oct. 6)
Juan Diaz vs. Julio Diaz (We’re betting on Diaz), HBO (Oct. 13)
Sultan Ibragimov vs. Evander Holyfield, PPV (Oct. 13)
Joe Calzaghe vs. Mikkel Kessler, HBO (Nov. 3)
Miguel Cotto vs. Shane Mosley, PPV (Nov. 10)
Joan Guzman vs. Humberto Soto, HBO (Nov. 17)
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Ricky Hatton, PPV (Dec. 8 )
Felix Trinidad vs. Roy Jones Jr., PPV (Jan. 19)
Here’s the other photo I was considering.
I’d pay to see that kangaroo bout above! Except the ’roo might be better served as a mixed martial artist so he can just kick that guy right in the junk. But, on second thought, you know that fight would get canceled too.