Though officially off the air as of a couple weeks ago, I still find myself in Solo Boxeo withdrawal. And how could I not be? Nearly every Friday night I could count on basking in the warm glow that the Telefutura’s popular boxing series provided.
Like a weekly visit from beloved family members, Bernardo Osuna and Ricardo Celis were welcomed into my home every Friday night at 7 PM CST. Oh sure, there was the fact that the show was broadcast entirely in Spanish, and I do not speak Spanish save for a few important phrases that mostly pertain to requests for beer and tequila and locations for the nearest gentleman’s establishments. But such is the beauty of boxing, it transcends language barriers. We are talking about a show that sparked the careers of some of the sports most notable stars. Fighters such as Antonio Margarito, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez, Juan Diaz, and Kelly Pavlk all have had some of their earliest fights broadcast on the series.
But it’s all gone. A victim to the widespread economic crunch that grips most of us. Despite solid ratings, the network could not justify the high cost of producing the show. Now I have a void in my life that no amount of cold, refreshing Tecate can fill.
So as I pour out a 40oz of Old English malt liquor in rembrence of my fallen televised homie a single tear rolls dowm my cheek. Rest in peace Solo Boxeo, gone but not forgotten.
