Every Thursday at FightHype, I pull out my huge, bulging, bulging sack and give true-minded boxing fans a treat. This week, I’m giving the truth ropes on all the comments/questions regarding the Spence-Crawford consolation prize and the so-called Soviet Bloc invasion.
A well-deserved consolation in the loss of Spence-Crawford
Hey Paulie!
It’s been a while since I wrote, but I hope you’re doing well! Although we didn’t get the match we wanted in Spence vs. Crawford (at least for the foreseeable future), but I am told the WBA has allowed Spence to play Thurman (WBC is required to play this match) with an obligation to play the winner of that match. Stanionis vs Ortiz fight for the regular WBA title. Assuming both of these battles are done, I’d say we should at least have 2 interesting fights as a consolation for Spence vs Crawford. I think Ortiz beat Stanionis and I’m excited about the idea of a Spence vs Ortiz match. I don’t know if GBP will let that happen in 2023, but in theory it’s a great fight with great momentum. What do you think of that situation and how will those battles play out? I long thought that Spence would take down Thurman, but Thurman still has a punch and some athletic ability. I am interested in what you have to say on this topic. Please continue to uphold!
— Jackie RED
Hey Jackie.
Good to hear from you again.
Spence-Thurman is a good fight, though it’s sure to get some fan and media attention as everyone wants more Spence-Crawford. Thurman’s movement and athleticism can pose some problems for Spence, but Spence is so focused and not easily excitable (and possesses a tight skill set) that I don’t see anyone other than Crawford can beat him at the moment.
The Golden Boy will be in trouble if they don’t believe Ortiz is real. I think they will happily fight Stanionis and will also push for a fight with Spence. They really have nothing to lose and everything to gain. PBC, at the moment, has an almost entirely controllable welding weight class and full control of the junior mid-range. If Ortiz can’t squeeze into the top spot at 147, he’s not going to get anywhere anyway. So why not roll the dice with him and see how far he can get his foot in the door?
With Ortiz and Boots, Ennis is on the verge of making a big breakthrough and comes in at number one. 1 and no. Coming in at 2nd out of three of the four sanctioning bodies (2nd and 3rd in the WBA), things are going to get very interesting, very soon at 147. It’s almost time that Spence and Crawford can’t wait for each other. more and will have to face these lion cubs. We shall see.
But, yes, Spence-Crawford’s disbandment isn’t the end of the world.
Dominating Eastern Europe?
Hi Paul.
For the longest time, all we heard was how Eastern European boxers, who were part of the Soviet Bloc, were taking over the sport or would soon take over the sport. There have been some good fighters out of that area and many are still here, but what we got was hardly a wave that overwhelmed boxing as a whole. How many elites did that wave create? Lomachenko. Golovkin. use. Kovalev for a while. Bivol and Betterbiev. If I’m missing anyone, it’s not much. What do you think of this so-called Eastern Bloc invasion?
– Clyde
Hey Clyde.
Only reason is that when the Soviet Bloc collapses, there will be a huge amount of boxing talent that would not normally be ranked professionally. We finished that first generation of true post-Soviet fighters and you’re right (and Paulie Malignaggi is wrong), Eastern Europeans do NOT control the sport, nor do they really come close to doing so. do like that.
A lot of that hype was fueled by HBO Boxing, the company trying its best to make stars after essentially losing (or repelling) all of America’s top talent through oddly hostile mismanagement. They pushed Golovkin, Lomachenko and Kovalev (which is obnoxious) and that had some effect, but it affected media coverage more than fan interest. None of those promoted to stardom generated revenue in the end that far outstripped what the domestic high-profile talent did. That’s just reality. For all the hype it generated, the so-called Soviet/Eastern Bloc invasion was almost always a brief, somewhat minor incursion. There are still many good Eastern European boxers out there, at or near the highest level of the sport, but the idea that they have taken over or are taking over the sport is ludicrous.
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