Don’t Call It a Comeback

Although the groundswell of interest in mixed martial arts (MMA) ostensibly struck a deathblow to boxing, rumors of its demise have been greatly exaggerated. Sure, Chuck Liddell read lines with Johnny Drama on HBO’s Entourage, but Floyd “Money” Mayweather and the Golden Boy set pay-per-view records for their May bout. Only boxing can make brutality aesthetically pleasing.

MMA boasts more blood, but it’s no match for boxing’s long, storied history. The sweet science is pure Americana, on par with apple pie, cheeseburgers, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Tonight at 9, boxing’s resurrected Friday Night Fights comes to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino when Colombian Edison “Pantera” Miranda and Haitian-born Jean Pascal face off against American opponents. Miranda battles Oregon’s David Banks, while Pascal squares off against Omar “Pit Bull” Pittman, the latest in a long tradition of Philly bad-asses. Miranda and Pascal are expected to battle in late ’08, but only if they can survive in South Florida.
Fri., Jan. 11, 2008