Golden Boy has really done well by seven of its fighters in the Marcos Maidana-Erik Morales pay per view card. If you examine the April 9 card, the four fights may not be the most scintillating card for fight fans (although Katsidis-Guerrero should be great), but the card will be great for the future positioning of Golden Boy and its the seven fighters on the card. Here's a run down of each fight and what winning could mean for each fighter and Golden Boy.
Marcos Maidana-Erik Morales Let's face it. Maidana is the biggest badass in all of boxing. Any fight that he is in is worth watching. After a grueling fight with Amir Khan, this is the type of live but overmatched opponent that he needs. With a win, Maidana stays in the American consciousness and is ready for some of the larger fish later in 2011. Erik Morales is still a name. If Morales somehow wins or even looks good in a loss, he plants himself knee deep in the best division in boxing. With his name and reputation for good fights, Morales sets himself up and Golden Boy for another big payday.
Michael Katsidis-Robert Guerrero This fight is HBO worthy in it of itself. The key here is Guerrero. Is he ready for war? If so, this could be the signature fight that Guerrero's career has lacked to date. Guerrero has the skills to win and set himself for even bigger fights. Katsidis has a winnable fight as well. By imposing his will on a fighter whose mental toughness has been challenged in the past (remember Guerrero's bizarre behavior in the Daud Yordan fight), Katsidis can go for the stoppage. Already TV friendly, this win gives him the ability to start calling out some of the bigger names at 135-140.
Winky Wright-Matthew Macklin This fight is the classic "let's see what we have here" fight. Macklin just signed an agreement with Golden Boy. With Wright as an opponent, there is no risk that he will be knocked out or badly hurt. This fight will also get Macklin seen by the HBO brass -- perhaps the most important point of them all. Wright, coming off another long layoff, is essentially the trial horse with upside. If he beats Macklin, he once again becomes a name in the forever barren Middleweight division. There are all sorts of people out there with more talent than name recognition in that division. Wright could help be a B-side to half a dozen of them if he wins.
James Kirkland-TBA Kirkland was about two fights away from becoming a major star before he was incarcerated. This fight is another opportunity for HBO and Golden Boy to see how far away Kirkland is from being a Saturday Night boxer again.
Golden Boy has put together a great card for its fighters. Although some fans might complain about the escalating number of pay-per-views, no one is forcing them to buy anything. The Katsidis-Guerrero fight and the chance for Maidana to knock out anyone should make it worth watching. In the meantime, their fighters can stay busy, look good and prepare for bigger fights later in the year.
There will be many times when SNB will criticize Golden Boy. This won't be one of them.
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