IBR on The Cruelest Sport

“Predictability, whatever drama it may bring to life, be it the looming inevitable or the hotly anticipated, is largely unwelcome in boxing. In boxing, predictability most often manifests as bogus scorecards, gross mismatches, unfulfilled expectations, bald-faced lies—all that conspires to remind enthusiasts what little reward enthusiasm gains. But mucking around in that predictable slop is also dependability, and the dependability, in and with the right hands, helps keep boxing alive.”

Read Ritual de lo habitual: Gennady Golovkin KO2 Marco Antonio Rubio on The Cruelest Sport.

IBR on The Cruelest Sport

“Last night, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, self-proclaimed greatest fighter ever, Floyd Mayweather Jr., again proved too much for less-than-great Argentine slugger, Marcos Maidana. What does it say of a fighter with Mayweather’s bold moniker that he needed 24 rounds to firmly establish his dominance over a fighter of Maidana’s cast? Best leave such questions to the spin doctors, sycophants, myth-makers, and the rest who feel their own greatness lurch incrementally skyward whenever they exalt their idol to new heights. But let us at least admit this much: Mayweather promised to deliver a more dominant performance in his rematch with Maidana, and he kept his word.”

Read Reality Bites: Floyd Mayweather Jr. W12 Marcos Maidana on The Cruelest Sport.

IBR on The Cruelest Sport

“Yes, however faint their buzzing, the flies have been thick since MAYHEM was announced. It speaks to boxing’s current malaise that what constitutes news, and even worse, entertainment, moves further and further away from ringside—despite the fact that all that really matters is what transpires between the ropes. A second installment of a surprisingly competitive fight? No, no, that is a grossly inadequate promotional angle in the TMZ days/daze.”

Read Like A Buzzless Fly: Floyd Mayweather-Marcos Maidana II Preview on The Cruelest Sport.