Noito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire (31-1) vs Guillermo Rigondeaux (11-0) is likely to happen April 13, 2013. This is a refreshing fight for American boxing fans because rarely do we get to see the two best fighters in their primes fight for division supremacy  Great matchmaking like this remind me of the glory days; Leonard – Hearns, Leonard – Duran, Whitaker – Nelson Chavez – Taylor, Hagler – Hearns, this list goes on.

However, in today’s boxing world, the road to the top isn’t about taking on the best and/or all comers. It’s about matching your top fighter with a low risk opponent. Take for instance Adrian Broner facing Gavin Rees This Saturday, February 16, 2013. Rees–a good Euro fighter and very much an unknown to most American boxing fans–will come in as a huge underdog. Broner’s camp knows Rees is a perfect style to showcase Broner’s speed and to help Broner’s stock rise without risking too much in the process. Rees is barely a top 10 fighter in the lightweight division. A better, more worthy opponent would be no. #5 ranked Richard Abril. Like Ponce De Leon did before him, Abril would fight Broner on the outside and pick him apart. Broner – Rees is just one example of   the many bad matchmaking decisions in championship boxing today.

We tend to attack the fighters for ducking good opposition but for the most part it’s the promoters that make these ridiculous mismatches which eventually become Pay-Per-View garbage. Networks like HBO and Showtime not take