Don’t get me wrong, it was great seeing a world-class fighter like lightweight Julio Diaz on free TV. Thank you ESPN2 and Wednesday Night Fights. His clinical dismantling of previously undefeated and evidently stone-footed David Torres, however, didn’t make for exciting TV. The fight’s venue…that’s another story.

For the fifth year in a row ESPN2 filmed a boxing card at Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion and there was plenty of beautiful sights to see in between rows. The ESPN announcing team of Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas even commented on the many requests they had for press credentials.

Speaking of Teddy, we’ve really enjoyed the humor in his last few pre-match fight plans but none have delighted him more than the Julio Diaz feature that featured “Hugh Hefner’s youngest girlfriend” Kendra Wilkinson. If you missed it, check out Teddy’s wandering eyes and bad puns below. Btw, don’t listen to Kendra’s prognosticating advice. She’s no Jimmy the Greek. And thank heavens for that!

ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights card took its first hit last week when the Ola Afolabi vs. Francisco Palacios main event was canceled last week. Most of the fights appeared to be one-sided stat-padding producers. Nevertheless the Scranton, Pa. crowd and the viewing audience got a good show replete with a debatable decision and a bloody main event.

In the opener 20-year-old Mexican welterweight James De La Rosa outclassed Guyanan Troy Wilson (80-72 on all the cards) to up his record to 16-0.

In the second fight middleweight Josh Snyder (7-3) gave John Mackey (8-1) his first L dropping him in twice in the four-round fight. Mackey first went to the canvas in the rousing second round. At the round’s opening bell a strip of lights over the ring in went dark. So much for Scranton being the “Electric City.” Both fighters traded blows and flurries in that highly enjoyable round with Mackey falling into the ropes late.

Snyder floored Mackey again in the fourth with a monster right hand. Perhaps the judges were blinded by the temporary darkness as one judge scored the fight a draw. Granted, Mackey landed some great punches of his own in the second and fourth so the draw score wasn’t as egregious as ESPN2 announcer Teddy Atlas claimed.

This was a terrific four-rounder with great action and a powerful knockout. We’ll admit that we were pulling for Snyder. He was born in York, Pa. which is near jabandgrapple.com’s Harrisburg, Pa. HQ, and he currently lives in Berlin, Md. which is nearby jabandgrapple.com’s vacation destination of the Delaware shore. The Lackawanna College Student Union got their money’s worth with this one. The main event will get a post of its own, so above is a video of Snyder’s fourth round punch. The knockdown comes with 1:25 left in the round (or around 0:48 in the video).

Something was different about ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights. I was relaxed. I was soothed. I wasn’t stressed. I didn’t change the channel. I wasn’t yelling “please stop talking” at the television. The mute button was not engaged. What was the difference? The increasingly annoying team of Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas was replaced last night with the always excellent Brian Kenny and ex-heavyweight champ and Transporter 2 actor Shannon Briggs.

I’m not denying Teddy Atlas’ extensive knowledge or his boxing acumen. He’s a likable guy who every five minutes forgets more about boxing than I’ll ever know. My main problem is that during his broadcasts he reminds you how much he knows during every second of every match. Sometimes I just want to watch, and take in both the ringside noise and the sounds of the fight. Atlas never allows for personal reflection; the fight always becomes only what he thinks.

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