By Robert “Big Moe” Elmore: One of the ultimate goals for a fighter/boxer is to win a major world title. Once that is achieved the idea is to keep winning and attract public attention. In other words, they want to put themselves in position to where they can dictate the conditions (negotiations) prior to a fight. But there is harsh reality to this scenario.
Fighters need more than just a belt, they need a name also. Don’t get me wrong have a world title gives the fighter leverage, but the belt alone won’t allow him to go through the ceiling called superstar. A fighter needs public appeal to a mass audience (not just his cult following) and the right opponent that will allow them to crossover. Fighters that have transcended to the level of greatness had what I call that “it” moment. Even if the governing bodies that preside over the world titles decide to strip a fighter of their title, it wouldn’t matter. They are a household name.
Some fighters have had that “it” moment but it didn’t quite work out right away. Larry Holmes had his moment in 1978 when he defeated Ken Norton for the WBC heavyweight title. However, that victory took a back seat when Holmes beat up Muhammad Ali in 1980. It was also short lived until he fought Gerry Cooney 1982. In the mind of Holmes, this was his coming out party. This was “it” moment. But because of the foundation on which the fight was built (racism), the public borrowed Holmes for that fight. Afterwards his victory, he was returned to that abyss called normal. He didn’t get the recognition until he retired. Marvin Hagler had a semi coming out moment against Roberto Duran, but his “it” fight came against Thomas Hearns. It was then that he was accepted in the public eye. By the time was set to face Ray Leonard, the WBA stripped Hagler of his title for refusing to face the number one challenger Herol Graham. But he didn’t need the title because he had a name. Now let’s take a look at some who “it” moment worked for them.
In 1964, Muhammad Ali had his “it” moment against Sonny Liston and that took Ali to new heights. But Ali had established himself with the people by this time because he ran his mouth. He became even more popular when he refused to be drafted. So when he returned to the ring five years later, he still filled arenas. Sugar Ray Leonard moment as a person hit when he won the Olympics. But his “it” moment came (at least in my eyes) in his rematch with Roberto Duran. And the fact that Leonard retired twice, came back, and was able to get the upper hand financially (business savvy as well) over his opponents even when he wasn’t champion (check his fight with Terry Norris and Hector Camacho) spoke volumes on how his popularity worked for him. Floyd Mayweather had his “it” moment against Deigo Corrales. But his coming out party came against Oscar De La Hoya. Since then, Floyd has become the number one fighter in the sport as well as the richest athlete.
Allow me to be personal for a minute. I make no bones about it. I’m big fan of Floyd Mayweather. But not just because of his skills, but because of where he comes from. I have watched several interviews where he explained his upbringing. It wasn’t all golden roads back then. But what really got to me is when he stated that his father used him as a bullet shield. And as a soon to be father, I could even fathom using my own flesh and blood for such matters (Please note…I’m not trying to trash Floyd Sr.) But I’ve witnessed fatherless homes and saw the results. When I read about fighters health conditions (Wilfredo Benitez), or saw how people where taken advantage of on every aspect (Mike Tyson; and I saw Undisputed Truth as well), it makes me champion for these fighters to take a personal interest in their careers. So when they hang up the gloves, they can live comfortably. But this is what it takes for a fighter to appeal to everyone. Having HBO’S 24/7 and Showtimes ALL Access available, helps shed some light on the fighters.
All Access will feature Cuban fighter Erislandy Lara and Saul Alvarez. Only the hardcore fans will watch this. Why? The average American won’t be interested in watching subtitles because they can’t get the full emotional from it. The narrator may give some insight, but to hear it from the fighters mouth drives the feelings home. The Mexican and Cuban audiences are going to love it because they understand what each fighter is saying. Like I said having a belt is good, but having a mass audience helps a great deal. There are more fighters that I didn’t mention, but will gladly touch on in the comments If need be.
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