Why I’m hard on Loma, fair or foul?

[Spicoli]

Loma from the get go was about instant super stardom and all the rewards from fighter to promoter that came with it. I don't see this particular racism angle in regards to Crawford v Loma. Honestly I wasn't fond of Loma and the microwave type push he had rolled out to him based on Amatuer and Gold medal accolades from the beginning. It was surreal to see a guy handed a title shot as headliner on HBO in only his second 'pro' fight. He was HBO ppv in debut. I remember De La Hoya making his post Gold medal debut as some 6 rounder v the guy running the beer stand at the Great Western Forum. But honestly and with respect to some ok'ish guys over his first year..you could have skipped them all and gone 1-0 right into his 1st trinket too. It's padding as much as it's a normal mostly excepted process for a fighter of high caliber to showcase..market..grow seats and fans before having it handed a trinket on a silver platter. The learning craft and honing skills feels secondary for some early on. No sane individual can deny Lomas skill and he is very much a pleasure to watch aside from some clowning and mocking from time to time. But rarely if ever has a fighter been given the opportunities, for the sake of a promoter too, that he has been given. Every record in history can be torn apart but truth be told aside from Walters and Russell Jr, Linares on the rebound just to get ko'd next, where were these fresh undefeated top division threats he vanquished. Rigo again two divisions is two divisions. Feel the same way about it as with Mikey up for Spence, Brook up for GGG so on and so forth. I don't mind Loma at all but make no mistake right now he and Arum more so are about collecting trinkets, not being involved in super fights.

Loma's had it "handed on a platter?" If what he's done is so "easy" why haven't others done it? Why waste their time with all the training camps and obligations whilst receiving peanuts when they can jump in the deep end? He's not half the star in America guys like Oscar was when he turned pro. There are literally dozens of American fighters who could CHOOSE Loma's path and get the same TREATMENT from Bob, Eddie, Al, Oscar, any top promoter.

You'd prefer Loma had "earned" a title shot by having 15-20 fights against the guy who runs the beer stand? Then maybe a championship rated fighter or two - like Ramirez - before the alphabet org allowed him the honour of paying for a shot?

He didn't bypass "learning the craft and honing skills" against club fighters because he was "handed it on a silver platter," the risk/gamble paid off. He proved to be the real deal, not just an outstanding amateur.

Robeisy Ramirez? Heard of him? Two-time olympic gold medalist? Massive bidding war between promoters to sign him, went with Bob. Last month he got knocked down 30 seconds into his debut and lost the fight against a 4-2-2 hotdog seller.

Yes handed on a platter. The immediate championship opportunity that is. I didn't say easy, not his opposition not his dedication...but the professional doors afforded and maybe I'm thick..ok I'll spot you that one.. but I don't think their are dozens that could simply dictate demands for roll out multi title shots as they please. Let alone be literally promised a title fight by a 2nd pro start. Even if you lose, you'll get matched for it again right away v a guy not even ranked by say the Ring. What fighter doesn't have risk/reward. And it paid off on the second try. Loma was fortunate to have outside guarantees from the fat cats. He is the exception..in skill as well as his professional start.

Yeh maybe I'm old fashion but I like a guy to build up. Not talking 20-30 gimmes but what is so wrong with a guy regardless of stature actually being required to have a few fights where the lights are a little less blinding. Loma in a way is a representation of our want for immediate gratification and how the sport has changed exposure and media wise. Beer vendors have to work to. Journeymen and contenders have to eat too. Guys like Narciso Valenzuela have to make money grubbers like Bob Arum choke on those hot dogs for a split second when they drop Oscar on his arse. And fans of every ilk want to see the next coming. Oscar may have been huge coming out but guys then didn't have the easy amatuer fan following and point and click of today. Fans would have called foul if an Oscar would have been allowed to jump right into a title. Shat you can't even get fans to find a consensus on what actually constitutes a 'pro' fight vs an amatuer bout today. But I get it..times change and honestly man I'm not hating on the individual or faulting the man for maximizing advantages and shooting for history. Jebus the last thing I want is to defend trinket syndicates or fooking Oscar types but yeh if you're whole thing is covering yourself in those same trinkets like a gawdy Christmas tree than why shouldn't one be expected to get in line. What I want from a guy many are calling an all time great ffs are career defining fights. More so for fans, a super fight but as of late Arum looks content of some big showcases where Loma as expected will dazzle.