By Rod Bautista: I remember when fighters were fighters. Remember that? Guys would call each other out and rag on each other because in the end they were going to put their money and their fists behind all the words they were saying.

Sure Muhammad Ali would wax poetic about how pretty he was and how ugly his opponents were. He even punched out a stuffed gorilla pretending it was Joe Frazier. Regardless of what he did or said at the end of the day Ali was a fighter and he went into the ring and took care of his business. Whether he floated like a butterfly or stung like a bee Ali was always up for a fight.

To be the champ you had to fight the champ. Would Sugar Ray Leonard be the best if he didn’t fight Hagler, Hearns or Duran. He ducked no one and fought the best of the best. So did Ali. To be great you have to be opposed by greatness. You have to put up or shut up.

Today we are blessed with two of the greatest fighters of our generation. Hell it could be said that with the wealth of talent fighting around the Welterweight division that we could have the quality of fights that were abundant in the 80’s. With the likes of Berto, Valero, Marquez, Cotto, Williams, Clottey, Mosley and of course Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, we could have a plethora of quality fights culminating in the crowning of the true Pound For Pound Champion of The World.

This sadly is not the case.

Boxers are business men first, more interested in the path of least resistance for maximum pay rather than paying dues and working through the ranks and earning your shot.

Boxing unfortunately has as much relevance in today’s society as the Biathlon, and Australian Rules Football. Okay maybe not to that extreme. The average sports fan on the street can probably name more NASCAR drivers than relevant boxers. It’s sad, but it’s true. MMA and the UFC have pretty much filled the void that Boxing left, while Boxing continually shoots itself in the foot.

Why? Is MMA better? Is MMA more exciting? It’s because no matter whom you are and where you’ve been, in MMA you have to face the best to be considered the best. That is the bottom line, and the youth and that ever so coveted demographic of the 18 to 35 year old male have taken notice. Hell even women find MMA fighters sexy, with their cauliflower ears and their broken crooked noses. MMA and the UFC is very much main stream and boxing sadly is a foot note.

In comes Manny Pacquiao, a fighter from a modest past and a modest third world country known more for Karaoke lovers and bad singers. He represents what boxing used to be, a fighter who not only comes in to the ring to win, but to destroy his opponent. He is a throw back to the olden days where boxers spoke with their fists. Hell he can barely speak English, yet he has captured the world’s imagination. He has graced the cover of Time magazine and been on late night network TV, even Good Morning America.

Saturday night Manny Pacquiao sold out Cowboys Stadium. That’s by himself folks. It is estimated that PPV numbers will be around the 700,000 mark.

Boxing is at a point where it might be able to become relevant again. Can it get over itself to take advantage of it? We have the current Pound For Pound Champ and the current #2 ranked fighter and former Pound For Pound Champ. One keeps talking and won’t shut up and the other one is running for congress in his home country.

They need to just shut up and fight. Then the winner needs to fight Sugar Shane and then Andre Berto, and then Paul Williams, and then Edwin Valero and so on and so on. Boxing can be great again. Boxing can be more relevant than two half naked guys rolling over each other in a cage. Boxing is and always has been the Sweet Science, it just needs to find its way again. The fighters just need to fight and quit being what their not.

Floyd you aren’t the second coming of Ali, and Manny you aren’t Obama or Michael Buble. You’re the greatest fighters of this generation, and you need each other to be considered one of the best of all timet. So for boxing and all the boxing fans around the world: JUST SHUT UP AND FIGHT!