Boxing: Golden Boy & Bob Arum Truce Means Great Fights

Just when all boxing fans thought that the nail had finally reached the coffin, like a great former champion pulling himself off the canvas for one last round, boxing has proven it has a few hard punches left.

After the debacle that was the Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. ballet, there was small hope that boxing would ever regain the sun that shined during the sports' more popular days. Mixed-Martial Arts has become more and more popular and was even starting to get shout-outs from such personalities as radio star Colin Cowherd who publicly lambasted his own network, ESPN, for not talking about the ungloved fight game.

But, the gloved fight game has suddenly, and without much fanfare, started greasing the wheels that will hopefully drive it to many more glory days. The reason, as always in boxing, is money.

Bob Arum, one of the most recognizable boxing promoters in the world, and Golden Boy Promotions, De La Hoya's company, have finally made nice. The main contention was the rights to promote superstar boxer Manny Pacquiao's fights. Pacquiao, recognized by some as the best pound for pound fighter in the world, had what appeared to be contracts with both Arum and Golden Boy. Considering how much money a Pacquaio fight could generate, the squabble over his promotional rights generated some incredibly harsh feelings and left boxing in a state of, if not upheaval, than definitely limbo.

It took a court-ordered mediation to settle the Pacquiao situation, but whatever works, works, and the benefits will be felt by all boxing fans all over the world. The settlement calls for Pacquiao fights to be co-promoted by both Arum and Golden Boy. The settlement has also opened a slew of possible fantastic fights between the two rival promotional companies the first, after Pacquaio's first co-promoted fight, will be an expected great match between undefeated Miguel Cotto and former champion Shane Moseley on Nov. 10^th.

Pacquiao's next fight, by the way, is on October 6^th against the "Baby-Faced Assassin", Marco Antonio Barrerra, the man that Pacquiao bested in his first foray into the Featherweight Division. At the time of their first fight, the Baby-Faced Assassin was himself considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Boxing fans will eagerly await this battle between two of the most feared fighters in the Featherweight Division.

The love-fest between Arum and Golden Boy has spilled over to everyone involved in boxing. On October 29^th, undefeated Jermaine Taylor fights undefeated Kelly Pavlik. Although Taylor is the champion, Pavlik has a more meaty record at 31 - 0 with 28 knockouts. Pavlik is a knock-out artist and should give Taylor all that he can handle.

Then there's the fight that all boxing fans have been clamoring for: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Ricky Hatton. The fight, on December 8^th, should be the one that brings all boxing fans back to the sport. A classic battle of conflicting styles, Mayweather's camp may not respect Hatton's hand-speed enough, calling Hatton a "hold and hit fighter", and Mayweather Jr. may be one of the most hated fighters of all time. His unpopularity is his popularity and Mayweather Jr. relishes the bad guy role.

The hope is that all of these upcoming fights, as well as future fights co-promoted by Bob Arum and Golden Boy Promotions, produce the same excitement in the ring as they do on paper. If that happens, nobody will question whether boxing is back or not.