Saturday, August 15, 2015

PBC-One step forward,Two steps back

The PBC returned this weekend with a Friday card on Spike and a Saturday slate on NBC Sports Net.
Neither card looked inspiring and was so bad that I didn't even bother to add them to the boxing challenge.

The one part that I was interested in was long time WBO (title unrecognized by TRS) Cruiserweight champ Marco Huck defending against undefeated European champion Krzysztof Glowacki.
Huck had defended his title 13 times and was attempting to break the division record for successful defenses in his American and PBC debut.

Huck was signed by PBC to give them a dominant cruiser champ and possibly eventual opposition for their heavyweight titleholder Deontay Wilder,who has been fighting a pro wrestling like list of squash fights before his 2016 mandatory vs Alexander Povetkin,who went life and death in a close fight with Huck two years ago.
What resulted was the best action fight that the PBC has offered since its inception this year as Huck and Glowacki had the Newark crowd rocking with supporters for both fighters.
It looked to be over in the sixth as Huck slammed a left hook that looked to be a knockout shot that dropped Glowacki to the floor.
A dazed Glowacki barely beat the count,but instead of holding,Glowacki fired punches back in desperation to keep Huck off of him and was effective enough to see the rounds end.
I had Huck ahead entering round eleven 96-93,so Glowacki would have to at least floor Huck to have a chance on my card and Huck had never been dropped to the mat in his career,so that would be a tough chore.
Glowacki did just that as a combination surprisingly dropped Huck and now it was his turn to beat the count,which he barely did.
However,Huck was unable to derail Glowacki,who drove Huck into the ropes with repeated punches and forced the referee to stop the fight.
I wouldn't say this was as good as Matthysse-Provodnikov for fight of the year,but it clearly was PBC's best and a top five bout for sure.
This was the type of fight that PBC needs more of-close,competitive and action filled.

But just as you felt good about PBC,they offered a lead weight to bring you down as aging former cruiserweight champ Steve Cunningham battled even older former light heavyweight boss Antonio Tarver at heavyweight.
This fight goes to show you that just because a fight is close,doesn't mean it was good as both men looked like they were stuck in glue in a fight that I should have gotten paid for watching.
PBC was hoping to find a winner to offer up to Deontay Wilder in December after he beats another walkover opponent in September,but instead found a draw with two judges scoring 115-113 for each man and the other scoring 114-114.
I had it 114-114,but would have no quibble with any card.
Just please don't give me another fight with these two.

PBC's offerings this month look especially dreadful with the exception being ESPN's offering of Leo Santa Cruz-Abner Mares and even that might be a year too long in being made.
It's stuff like this that has made PBC such a disappointment to me and others.
An inability or unwillingness to make top fights have left PBC wobbling with a less than thrilling lineup.
I want PBC to be successful.
It rises all boats as the old saying goes,but they need better fights and they have the capability to do so with a strong roster in some divisions.
They won't get there by boring people with more Tarver-Cunninghams,they could with more Huck-Glowacki's.....

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