You, Yes You, Should Watch More ProBox
By: Joshua Jaramillo
It’s now June, and excluding Zayas-Boots, we’re hitting a bit of a slow spot in regards to major fights, compared to the usual constant action we see in late spring.
That being said, the best product the sport consistently offers continues to shine. It's not the largest promotion, and you certainly won’t see the faces of the sport lined up to fight for them. However, ProBox, despite the lack of profile, certainly delivers way more than it purports on paper.
To start, it’s free. They stream every card on youtube, in english and spanish for fight fans to enjoy. On this merit alone, it’s simply more boxing for the average fight fan to enjoy, particularly on a slow weekend where you’re just itching to watch some boxing, or even over lunch or dinner since these cards can be accessed in full anytime.
The production is good and these cards move at a brisk pace, the commentary is knowledgeable and actually elects to analyze the fights happening, and honestly, the best part of these cards is the matchmaking. It’s rare for a guy to be given a soft touch on these cards, and these 50-50 matchups between fighters really build something special both for the viewer as it occurs and additionally serves to temper the fighters for if they reach the upper echelons of the sport.
A notable and recent example is Lester Martinez, a ProBox alum and now world-level super middleweight who fought to a scintillating draw with Christian M'billi last year on the Canelo-Crawford undercard. An underrated factor in the underperformance of certain fighters moving up in class is indeed the pressure, particularly against a capable and dangerous world-level operator such as M'billi. That being said, with the level of matchmaking that ProBox fighters cut their teeth with on the come-up, it becomes easy to say that being used to pressure was to Martinez’s benefit when it came to dealing with the brightest possible lights.
ProBox is possibly the easiest current way to watch guys who may very well be the future of the sport in their formative years right now. Exceptional (or at the very least fun) talent is always being polished on these shows, and as a fan, it’s awesome to see them flourish both on these shows and beyond. A related benefit of ProBox’s matchmaking is also the entertainment factor. I cannot understate how great these cards consistently are as a result. It’s just good boxing, and sprinkled in are near-routine excellent fights that will get you off your seat in excitement.
A key example of this is the recent FOTY Contender (in all honesty it outright is FOTY) matchup between Najee Lopez and Manuel Gallegos. Impressive boxing, heart, chin, composure, and a dramatic finish were all here, soaking the ring in blood as neither man gave up.
Lopez’s round 8 stoppage of Gallegos was cinema, the camerawork, the crowd jumping out of their seats, it was all of the drama we wish to see from this sport, and it represents what ProBox is.
(You SHOULD watch the fight here)
No, every card will not have a complete barnburner such as the fight I just wrote about. But the matchmaking and production ensures the product is closer to Lopez-Gallegos than a total stinker, which is something many promoters are scared to do with even the biggest cards in the sport.
If you’re feeling disenfranchised with shoddy production on big stages, want some more action out of your prospects, or simply want more fights, ProBox has you.
I’ll say this every week until I croak on the Boxing B-Sides podcast, but to put it simply
ProBox good.
Give it a shot. This sport is often disappointing, but ProBox will rarely, if ever disappoint you. That kind of reliability is rare, and it should be lauded.
