Drought week II

It's been 21 months, to my recollection, since there was a week that was this remarkably slow in the sport:

https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/drought-week.562585/

This one has that drought from early April of 2016 beat, hands down.

Yesterday we had the PBC doubleheader on Showtime, and Navarrete vs. Porras on beIN Sports, but otherwise this back half of January is downright lousy. Today, zero televised cards; a minor one in the Philippines headlined by an 8-0 kid being fed a 10-6-1 opponent, an Italian one that only has a lone 6-rounder listed, and one in Hungary that is chock full of 4- and 6-rounders wherein the most recognizable name is Zoltan Kiss, Jr. (btw, do yourself a favor and perform a Twitter search for "Zoltan Kiss"...)

Tomorrow and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and Sunday - "There are no bouts on this day".

Even the usually reliable Friday has got nothing on tap. Aside from a doubleheader in Bangkok airing on Thai Ch.7, featuring a pair of vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council titles @ feather and straw, there's absolutely nothing of note (and barely anything else televised across the globe, save yet another prospect in a gimme mismatch on TyC Sports in Argentina).

Usyk vs. Briedis is a shit-hot, competitive, high-level fight - but is stands alone this Saturday as the lone bright spot. HBO has a couple of soft touch squashes lined up for Linares & Matthysse. Tagoe vs. Saucedo for the IBO lightweight title is mildly interesting but taking place in Ghana, so 99% likely to not be viewable live elsewhere in the world. Oh, but there's Zab Judah's return to action (off television, in Calgary of all places)...

Things will get better. 2018 looks to be a promising candidate to avoid the "sophomore-slump" that Al Bernstein referred to (with 2014 seeming like a big disappointment after the highs of 2013) after what most consider a stellar 2017 - but this particular week is utter trash. Worst in years.

 

Better single fight but the week ending in Xmas eve and the week starting with Xmas day were both actually deeper.

 

More of a Girls boi.

 

A decent Saturday but with no auxiliary support, like I said there's usually a little something going on the eve prior (even if Friday boxing is known for being of lesser stock on the whole, there's still been plenty of memorable stuff over the years pretty close to year-round courtesy of FNF, ShoBox, Telemundo, Solo Boxeo, Noches De Campeones etc - and that's just on this side of the lake; Fridays typically boast at least a few semi-interesting British and/or mainland European cards as well) and the sole oasis in what otherwise makes for a week full of tumbleweeds. The four day stretch alone is unusually anemic (Monday until Thursday, literally not one small hall show anywhere in the world, at least per BR as of their database's update today) and then more of the same nada come Sunday. Zero boxing five days outta seven brings the overall grade for the week way down, I think more than one fantastic and highly anticipated Cruiserweight battle and one moderately palatable HBO doubleheader can salvage. You can't ace one test, get a B+ on another, skip the rest of a semester turning in none of your homework and hope to pass a course.

 

Same time, same place btw, for that Friday card in Thailand.

http://boxrec.com/en/event/763500

Kittithat is a nineteen year old body punching specialist, taking a bit of a step up. If you happen to be up late Thursday night, worth tuning in. (show runs from 2am-4am EST)