Marty Mulcahey said:What is it that holds a seemingly qualified boxer from a title shot?
Maybe he has a weak left hook, or a lack of combination punching, or no managerial backing.
Perhaps some racial biases prevent a boxer from building a proper fan base, which would demand a title opportunity through television ratings. Some fighters fail to get title shots in America not because of their ethnicity, but rather because they lack the breakthrough fight to establish viewership. All those factors matter, but most of the time it's one simple equation that is to blame: Risk vs. reward.
I have to state that no true boxing superstar, regardless of race, will be denied a TV date. It's about money, and television wants more stars. The most-avoided fighters are often the tough guys who do nothing great, but everything well.
The risk vs. reward calculation on the part of the champion's manager keeps these dangerous, but not great fighters, from getting a crack at the title. Sometimes that drought lasts for years.
It is wrong, but a long-standing tradition in boxing. Some, like Marvin Hagler and Archie Moore, have overcome it. Others, such as Charley Burley and Jimmy Bivins, could not. On the whole, it robs fans of good fights while also holding some champions back in their quests for greatness.
The elite fighters, like Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, have shown that Asian and black boxers can become staples of big-time boxing, and no reigning champion is scared of an opponent. In fact, most are eager to prove themselves. What prevents great matchups between good boxers is a management team bent on recouping its investment after a long trail to the title. Management often forgets how it struggled to get a title shot.
Here are 10 boxers who have to feel frustrated:
Note: Read the article to see the list of boxers. Click here to view the article.
What do you guys think of these fighters? I've seen three of them fight (Antonio Margarito - almost took out Cotto; Zahir Raheem - he has great boxing skills and isn't afraid to throw punches; and Kingsley Ikeke - has good boxing skills to be so tall and lanky, his range is his biggest asset)...and they are worth a legitimate title shot.
Who would be on your list of fighters who deserve a legitimate title shot?