The Hottest Boxing Storylines for the Week of October 16
Let's get right to the big news for the upcoming week in the sweet science.
Danny Garcia is once again the subject of barbs from boxing fans and media after he announced the latest in what's become far too many disappointing fights.
The 28-year-old is talented, but is this his worst cherry pick yet?
P.S.: That's saying something.
We'll also take a look at the WBC's strong stance against doping in boxing and the steps it has taken to weed drugs out of the sport.
All that, plus we'll go over the latest on negotiations between Gennady Golovkin and Daniel Jacobs, David Lemieux's return to the ring and whether Tony Bellew and David Haye should settle their differences in the ring.
These are the hottest boxing storylines for the week!
Is This Garcia's Worst Cherry Pick Yet?
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Garcia has been the subject of blistering criticism over his opponent selection in recent years, and the decision to face non-contender Samuel Vargas in a 10-round bout that isn't for his welterweight title won't make that any better.
The fight will headline a Premier Boxing Champions card November 12 in Philadelphia on Spike TV.
It's being billed as a tune-up for Garcia, who last fought in January when he defeated faded Robert Guerrero for a vacant welterweight title, but that case doesn't hold much water. There's a difference between inactivity by circumstance and inactivity by choice.
Garcia seems to fit the latter category.
There were plenty of rumors about possible opponents for this slot.
They included Andre Berto, John Molina and the completely unknown Sam Eggington from the United Kingdom, but we ended up with Vargas, a twice-beaten fighter whom a prospect-level Errol Spence blew out two years ago.
Garcia just seemed determined to find the worst of the lot and to continue racing to the bottom until he got there.
Don't get us wrong.
Those were all bad fights, but this is the worst of the lot.
How exactly is this supposed to prepare Garcia for a showdown with fellow welterweight titlist Keith Thurman, a bout that PBC claims to be finalized for early next year, per Mike Coppinger of USA Today?
How Effective Can the WBC's New Drug Policy Be?
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The WBC has proves that its new drug policy has some bite behind the bark
Mauricio Sulaiman's sanctioning organization announced its Clean Boxing Program back in May.
The program requires all champions and fighters ranked in the Top 15 by the WBC to register for Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) random testing that can be conducted at any time, 365 days per year, in order to root out performance-enhancing drugs.
The WBC completely implemented this past week, removing several notable fighters from its rankings for failing to complete the registration process.
Those included former heavyweight titlist David Haye, former light heavyweight titlist Jean Pascal, former world champions Amir Khan and Lamont Peterson, and top lightweight prospect Felix Verdejo, per Dan Rafael of ESPN.com.
A total of 25 fighters were removed from the rankings in 17 weight divisions.
Khan has since enrolled in the program.
Pascal claims that his inclusion on the list was the result of some sort of miscommunication between the WBC and VADA and that he is fully cooperating in order to complete the requirements and enroll in the program, per Phil D. Jay of World Boxing News.
This is a laudable step by the WBC.
Boxing is a dangerous game without chemical enhancement, and Sulaimon's organization deserves credit for backing up its words with concrete steps to help clean up the sport.
What Next in GGG-Jacobs Negotiations?
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It seems like a potential clash between Golovkin and Jacobs is becoming more and more complicated.
Tom Loeffler, who represents GGG and has a reputation as one of the easiest guys in the business to work with, last week requested that the WBA call a purse bid for the fight since it didn't seem likely a deal could be brokered.
That would open up the process to the highest bidder and entitle Golovkin, as the WBA's full champion, to receive a 75-25 split of the total purse. That number didn't do it for the Jacobs' camp, which requested (not all that uncommon) for the WBA to amend and make the split 60-40 instead.
Rafael reported that the WBA has looked into the matter and will not change the bid split in this case.
And now the questions begin.
It seems reasonable to think that Jacobs and his team could get a better deal than the 25 percent it's guaranteed under the bid rules. So does this ruling make them more likely to come to the table with a fair offer and make the fight?
Or does it give them the incentive to walk away and vacate the secondary title that means a whole lot less to GGG than having Jacobs' head on his proverbial wall? How much is Al Haymon willing to fork over for a bid that will see the majority of the money move away from his fighter?
There are both push and pull factors at work here.
Jacobs should now have the push (should he and his team be serious) to make a deal. But if one can't be reached (which would be a shame), then Jacobs might just pull away rather than take the risk for a smaller pot than he hoped for.
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Can David Lemieux Still Be a Force at Middleweight?
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Lemieux took a huge gamble by stepping up to face Golovkin in a unification bout in October 2015 just one fight removed from winning his first world championship. It was gutsy; his team probably would have preferred another direction, and GGG bludgeoned and stopped him.
It was the type of beating that can ruin a career, and there were legitimate questions about whether the Montreal fighter would ever be able to come back and be a factor on the world level again.
Lemieux rebounded with a solid knockout win over veteran tough guy Glen Tapia on the Canelo Alvarez vs. Amir Khan undercard in May, but he still has a ways to go to get many of the fans to buy in on him again. He looked solid but not spectacular in that fight.
He faces little known Argentine Christian Rios (21-7-3, 6 KO) in the main event Saturday night at the Bell Centre in his native Montreal. There's really not much to this for Lemieux beyond staying busy and maybe working out some kinks.
Rios is the definition of a journeyman-type fighter, and Lemieux needs to not only win but win impressively.
There's no room for a hiccup here for a fighter who has some of the most powerful hands in the sport and is looking to use them to get back into the 160-pound mix and possibly secure a lucrative shot at Canelo next year.
Should Bellew and Haye Meet?
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Bellew knocked B.J. Flores down four times en route to a third-round demolition of the cruiserweight (non?) contender on Saturday night in Liverpool to retain his WBC Cruiserweight Championship. The fight wasn't close in the slightest (much to the delight of boxing Twitter) and was the Brit's eighth win in a row.
It also set up a potentially interesting matchup (particularly for those of us who enjoy pre-fight banter) between Bellew and heated rival/compatriot David Haye.
Haye, a former cruiserweight and heavyweight champion, was ringside for the fight and received quite a few unkind words from Bellew at the conclusion of the night.
"You see him [Haye]? He's been conning the British public since his pathetic comeback started. The last two guys you fought are working on nightclub doors, or they're putting the bins out. You see you? You're gonna get smashed too," Bellew said, per Sky Sports (h/t Boxing Scene).
Haye, quite the talker himself, didn't take long to respond.
We're sure you're shocked.
"I've been a heavyweight for eight or nine years. If he wants to come up, it's an easy night's work. I'll probably knock him out with a jab," Haye said, per James Dielhenn of Sky Sports.
See, it's already interesting.
And don't act like you wouldn't watch it.
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