Yeah I heard Don King hasn't done shit for promotion as of yet.
Here is an article on the situation and the venue, the author is too harsh on it being in Biloxi, as there is boxing history there, but more importantly it sheds light on the lack of promotion by Don King...
Joan Guzman-Nate Campbell 'Nowhere To Run'
I've Got Biloxi Blues As It's Handled Like Amateur Night In Dixie!
Patriotic American Donald King is the lead promoter of the Nate Campbell-Joan Guzman lightweight title fight.
DK is waving Old Glory and following the footsteps of a lame duck named George Bush in Beijing. So maybe you can say duty calls for King right now but what about Showtime which will televise the showdown between the two highly-skilled 135-pounders from Biloxi on Sept. 13?
(As an aside, the Obama-McCain matchup must really be frosting King’s presidential poltical enthusiasm as the Democrat is ducking him and King has little use for the Republican who pushed the Muhammad Ali Act, a well-meaning but seldom enforced bit of legislation. King has predicted an Obama victory but he didn't sound too thrilled when he did so in Canada.)
How come King, his co-promoter One Punch, Guzman promoter Sycuan and Showtime are not shouting from the rooftops about this excellent bout in which no one can truly say who the winner will be? Now there’s a month to go and there hasn’t been a single press conference, media conference call or anything else done to trumpet this crackerjack bout. To put some more icing on the cake exciting WBC 140-pound champ Timothy Bradley is also on the bill.
And, if they need a joker in the deck, Guzman’s trainer “Pretty Daddy” Floyd Mayeather Sr. can always light some verbal firecrackers.
Sorry. I meant to keep my voice down. But the talent levels and records of Guzman and Campbell dictate that they deserve better treatment.
But, wait, it gets worse. Our intrepid reporter Cesar Fermin rang up hotel-casino host Beau Rivage Sunday to inquire about the fight and purchasing tickets.
Fermin was connected to the show/entertainment office and a woman said, “What fight? We don’t have anything on our calendar about a fight.” From what I hear, the card will be put on in the hotel’s ballroom which might give new meaning to the old boxing expression, “Amateur Night In Dixie.”
I mean, what is such a sparkling main event doing in Mississippi, anyway? I understand Vegas is a no-go zone but doesn’t this fight belong in New York, Atlantic City or in the Connecticut woods? Leave Biloxi for Roy Jones tuning up on an Anthony Hanshaw, not a fight where Campbell is putting three title belts on the line against an unbeaten marvel. Even Campbell's Jacksonville stomping grounds would've been better.
The Biloxi area is not a boxing hotbed unless your main atttaction if legend Roy Jones from nearby Pensacola. (Though Housecat Matt Stolow and I do highly recommend libations, fresh ersters and the lady drinkslingers at Mikey's On The Bayou, a fine establishment perched on top of a business that sells firecrackers, does unlicensed dentistry and auto reupholstering.)
Some of these thoughts came to mind Sunday when a huge crowd watched the annual Dominican Day Parade here in Manhattan. Would it have hurt to have Guzman appear before his fans like that?
I think there are two Dominicans in Bilxoi. Their names are Juan and Gone. They probably got shipwrecked there during Hurricane Katrina.
But put the venue aside, as it seems they already have. What about luring boxing fans to the boob tube to watch this fight on the premium cable network as opposed to bigger rival HBO’s Joel Casamayor-Juan Manuel Marquez main event the same night in Las Vegas? The Golden Boys are constantly thumping the tab on their attraction.
Head to head, I don’t think any real fan can argue that the more compelling and meaningful matchup is Campbell-Guzman. But there’s no doubt that Marquez, Manny Pacquaio’s archrival, and to a lesser extent, the Cuban veteran will attract their already established fan bases.
In Pacland and elsewhere, the Campbell-Guzman winner can scream that he, not Megammany, is THE MAN at 135 pounds. That may mean little to Pacman if he preparing to cash in as a mini-welterweight against legend Oscar De La Hoya but it means something to fans. It’s not as if Manny will keep going up in weight or remain a tiny welterweight.
I suppose some people are going to be irritated that I wrote this. It’s only constructive criticism for what could turn out to be a hot match.
Fans are whispering about this fight. Can you blame them?
They don’t know that “Nowhere To Run” is supposed to be classified information, top secret.
I suppose now I’ve let the proverbial cats out of the proverbial bag.
But can we agree that Campbell and Guzman are not your proverbial cats?
