SOMEWHERE UNDER AN OVERPASS IN PHILLY
originally published elsewhere… May 9, 2015
Joined a round or 2 into this evening’s main event and it took until the start of the 6th for them to actually announce I was watching “Friday Night Fights” but I could feel it from the jump. Teddy was on fire, weaving personal accounts of the heavyweights into the fabric of his coverage while offering valid lesson and perspective for both casuals and connoisseurs. When Tessatore kicked off a round with the phrase that headlines this post I played it cool, but inside felt like leaping out the chair.
Philly brawlin’ is world-class, slick not sloppy. Amir Mansour & Joey Dawejko went at it in a major way tonight and we were privileged to witness a pair of rough customers capable of boxing circles around many technicians and mauling alleged tough guys. So be it. Imo becoming Pennsylvania’s Heavyweight Kingpin secures a fighter elite status, much as whoever is the #1 rated fighter of any given division in Mexico, Puerto Rico or England generally deserves to be rated somewhere in the world Top 10 at said weight-class. Mansour & Dawejko sure fought like that's the case. The lateral movement, head & shoulder action and precise footwork… the willingness to grit and grind. I disagreed with Teddy’s round count but there was plenty of give and take in a fight that saw cuts early (I missed the first clash and apparently a hip toss) and was brutal poetry. Both employed effective headhunting but the punishing bodywork on Mansour’s behalf seemed to be the key to his victory from my vantage point. As the fight wore on Main Man Buddy McGirt advised his charge Dawejko to push forward, but by the final round Mansour had taken control, almost pantomiming his opponents arm swings which found mostly air by then. UD and the beat goes on.
Although I have been around a computer screen too much lately, wouldn’t you know right about now I Got That Lovin’ Feelin(tm) to write and post courtesy of FNF and figured this is as good a time as any. Tonight’s broadcast took me back to when my late-Grandfather and me would take in the bouts. We truly enjoyed watching sports together and of course that included the Sweet Science & Pro Wrestling, back when that still meant something. “Tough way to earn an easy dollar” he used to say with his strong, mellow smile after a big suplex or body slam executed with authority.
Haymon put this institution on lease, announcing intentions to reshape (relegate) it by slashing the amount of cards and bizarrely deciding to alternate from sometimes-Saturday’s which could place it in direct competition with UFC PPV’s & etc and other times/days during college football season.
They should leave it be. Just let PBC place their logo on the ropes and leave it at that. Don’t change nothing else, for the love of Boxing.
Either way, they don’t own the memories of all these years. So from Somewhere Under An Overpass In Philly, goodnight USA Tuesday Night Fights, wherever you are…
