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« | Home | »

It’s come to this: Tim Sylvia vs. Ray Mercer in a boxing match

By Zach Arnold | February 25, 2009

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What do you get the man who made $800,000 USD in a sub-minute losing effort to Fedor? A booking against Ray Mercer in a boxing match. Naturally, Monte Cox is promoting this fight in Atlantic City. Wow.

Side discussion: So, how well do MMA fighter agents perform as MMA promoters? The track record says… well

Taking this fight is going to do for Tim Sylvia’s career what driving drunk and spouting anti-Jew comments to a cop did for Mel Gibson’s. After some time has passed people might forget about it, but there’s still absolutely nothing good that can come out of it.

For the record, Mercer hasn’t boxed in the States since 2005.

Topics: Boxing, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 14 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |

14 Responses to “It’s come to this: Tim Sylvia vs. Ray Mercer in a boxing match”

  1. Chuck says:

    NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What the fuck? Mercer by sloppy decision. I am disgusted…

  2. big boi says:

    btw, is it just me or is anyone else wondering why this fight would even get sanctioned in the first place?

    Nick Lembo have any comment on this one?

  3. IceMuncher says:

    I really wish MMA fighters would quit trying to become boxers. It annoys me to no end.

  4. Chuck says:

    “btw, is it just me or is anyone else wondering why this fight would even get sanctioned in the first place?”

    The only way this fight happens in the States is if it’s in the Midwest or the South. Otherwise this fight wouldn’t happen unless Sylvia had at least a few pro fights. But he doesn’t. He never even had an amateur career. But I will say this; I think Sylvia can do better than Arlovski as a pro or amateur boxer. Taller and longer range and a better chin I am willing to bet.

  5. Mr Roadblock says:

    I can’t see any way Nee Jersey let’s this fight happen. If it is in boxing it is a for
    We world champ with 45 fights against a guy making what I believe is his pro debut.

    This fight is equally insanctionable in MMA but reversed.

    Is this going to be an exhibition fight the way Mercer vs Kimbo was. Mercer has had a strange career. Remember when he bodyslammed Musashi on K-1. And he murdered Tommy Morrison.

  6. Zach Arnold says:

    I’m pretty sure it will get sanctioned, as long as the ‘exhibition’ tag is placed on it — kind of like it was when Mercer fought Kimbo in an ‘exhibition’ MMA bout.

  7. Jim Genia says:

    I spoke to Nick Lembo last week about this. No way would it get sanctioned as an MMA bout, but it will get approved as a boxing match.

  8. Robert Poole says:

    Timbo is going to be Tommy Morrison and Mercer’s going to destroy him. Well look at it this way, at least Tim’s boring lay on you style won’t work here.

    :cue Mercer-Morrison brutal knockout clip:

    Rp

  9. Alan Conceicao says:

    Meanwhile, another broke boxer is turning to MMA, as apparently Hasim Rahman is looking for a few fights. I can’t really be offended. Tim makes some money, Mercer makes some money, everyone gets what they want. Mercer, BTW, will lose.

  10. Robert Poole says:

    “Alan Conceicao Says:

    Mercer, BTW, will lose.”

    You are out of your mind. This is boxing. Timbo doesn’t have the power to knock a legit boxer out. And they’re using bigger gloves.

    Mercer was at one point one of the baddest men in the heavyweight division. He might be older and slower now but that hasn’t stopped geriatrics from embarrassing other freakshows like Butterbean who actually does have power.

    If Tim can’t take him down and lay on him, he has no chance.

    Rp

  11. Alan Conceicao says:

    (I think I had posted something earlier, but don’t see it right now, so if I did, go ahead and delete this)

    Mercer will lose because if he wins, he is not getting another call to fight from anyone in the US. That may sound like a strange thing to say, but its entirely accurate. This reeks of “doing good business”. He is in pitiful shape these days and barely trains, and he continues to get fights because he is considered an easy out with name value. If he ceases to be easy to beat, he is unbookable for most promoters. He’s probably learned his lesson from basically throwing the Bonjasky fight too: Take a beating or something first before going down.

    We could go on for awhile about crappy old boxers being desperate for money. Tommy Morrison fighting for the Wyoming State Muay Thai title a couple months ago with a blatant dive finish was hilarious.

  12. Chuck says:

    Speaking of Tommy Morrison, Morrison has said that he wants to do a rematch against Mercer in the summer in Wyoming. Allegedly it might be a WBC eliminator. If you want more proof why the sanctioning bodies are stinking, hot shit, here it is.

    And why won’t Mercer get calls to fight in the States? I do know a few years ago (right before he went to K-1) he handed in his official retirement papers to the Florida State Athletic commission. I think it was so he can get out of his contract with whatever promoter he was with at the time and I think he was slated to have a match but obviously pulled out of it. Even though Mercer is no where near as good as he is, he is still a high risk, low reward fighter. That “reward” part is much lower now than it was even five years ago. The “risk” part is only slightly lower I am sure, because of age and probably dulling reflexes.

  13. Alan Conceicao says:

    It theoretically could be a WBC Muay Thai eliminator for the heavyweight division, since they have kickboxing belts, though none are generally handed out beyond Thailand. I seriously doubt the WBC would be interested since the promoters/Tommy/Ray could never find the money for the sanctioning fees.

    Mercer still thinks he’s worth more than a couple hundred dollars, otherwise people would be more interested. I’m sure he’s getting five figures for the fight with Sylvia, and that’s more than anyone in the US is willing to pay him.

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