“A long and winding road brought Raymundo Beltran to the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska, last night. Over his fifteen-year career, Beltran, born in Mexico but now living in Phoenix, Arizona, made stops in places like Panama City and Glasgow, where he played the role of hardscrabble pro, sparring partner, and most recently, championship hopeful. Unfortunately for Beltran, those title hopes were dashed, as he dropped a wide unanimous decision to streaking lightweight Terence Crawford by scores of 119-109, 119-109, and 120-108.”

Read The Look: Terence Crawford W12 Ray Beltran on The Cruelest Sport.

“That anyone thought Chris Algieri had a chance against Manny Pacquiao is perhaps symptomatic of a clouding lust for competition in a largely uncompetitive sport; a lust that is never stronger than when it promises to be unsatisfied on the grandest and most expensive stage. And sure, taken in a vacuum, where fantasy nonsense spreads like crabgrass and opinions are tantamount to fact, Algieri had better than no shot in hell. But when the bell rang in the Cotai Arena in Macau, China, and he was no longer buoyed by hypotheticals and overthinking, Algieri’s real chances bore out. And those chances, ultimately, were nil. Pacquiao dominated for all but a handful of seconds against Algieri, scored six knockdowns, and won by lopsided scores of 119-103, 119-103, and 120-102.”

Read TERROR AND BOREDOM: Manny Pacquiao W12 Chris Algieri on The Cruelest Sport.

“No one would blame you for being sick of it all: his television appearances, fetishized backstory, even his squeaky voice and goofy grin. If either the fighter or the mania that has floated him like a magic carpet through vistas of public curiosity ever harbored some charm, that charm is belly up. Were you to pass on his next fight, you would find no shortage of sympathizers. Yes, Chris Algieri, who faces Manny Pacquiao at the Cotai Arena in Macau, China, Saturday night, is a case study in how to create a villain through overexposure.”

Read The No-Harm Charm: Manny Pacquiao-Chris Algieri Preview on The Cruelest Sport.