Two guys who had a grand total of two pro boxing matches and one pro boxing win between them drew an overflow crowd of 18,040 to the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, for a boxing match Saturday with no title on the line and little significance other than bragging rights in their personal rivalry.
And yet, Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal went out and put on a show that had fans in the arena roaring and television viewers around the world captiated. Diaz won a majority decision in a bout that could have gone either way in a fight that was compelling and entertaining if not technically sound.
The fans clearly loved it. The arena was packed and even though the main event started at a ridiculously late 1:17 a.m. Eastern time, those in attendance remained and made themselves heard during the fight.
And a fight it was. The bell rang and both men met in the center and started to punch each other. It was a rematch of a Nov. 2, 2019, bout for the so-called BMF title at UFC 244 in New York’s Madison Square Garden that Masvidal won by TKO after the ringside physician stopped the bout after three rounds because of cuts.
Fernando Villareal had it 95-95, a more than reasonable score. Rudy Barragan and Zachary Young had it 97-93 and 98-92, respectively, for Diaz, who evened his pro boxing record at 1-1.
The undercard dragged on and on. Chris Avila beat former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis by decision in a bout that looked like it was broadcast in slow motion. Shane Mosley Jr. defeated Daniel Jacobs by unanimous decision in the co-main event, a bout that basically proved only that it was a very poor decision for Jacobs to come back after more than two years on the sidelines.
Yet, the fans stuck around because they knew what they were going to get from Diaz and Masvidal. Both men have been professional fighters for over 20 years, and while neither won a major title, both earned massive fan bases by giving the fans what they came to see each time out.
Thousands of miles away on the other side of the country, an infinitely more gifted boxer, Shakur Stevenson, defended his lightweight title at home in Newark, N.J., against Artem Harutyunyan. Stevenson won, but boxed cautiously and took few risks and his hometown crowd booed him.
The message for boxers and promoters should be clear: Fans want to see fighters fight. Yeah, boxing’s at its best when the two finest in a division compete for high stakes, but if Diaz-Masvidal proved anything, it’s that fans crave showmen and love fighters who compete passionately.
“You know I could feel the love,” Diaz said of the California crowd. “I love Cali and it’s all love every time I’m in California.”
Fans everywhere love Diaz because of his hard-nosed persona and his willingness to put his record and his health on the line and go for it. Heck, he lost to Jake Paul in his only previous boxing match and the fans didn’t care one iota.
Esther Lin/Fanmio
Nate Diaz (L) scores witih a left during his majority decision win over Jorge Masvidal Saturday in Anaheim, Calif.
We’ll see what the live gate was and how many of the tickets may have been comped when the California State Athletic Commission releases the box office report. But even if a large amount of tickets were given away, and at this stage there is no tangible evidence that’s true, promoters give away tickets all the time. Fans, though, don’t necessarily always turn up, though.
That they did this time, though, is the greatest proof yet of their star power, particularly that of Diaz. Every punch he threw, and he threw a lot of them, received a huge roar from the crowd. Masvidal lander the harder, more impactful shots, as well as more punches overall. But Diaz threw and threw and threw and captured a majority decision.
Masvidal, who opened the fight in a southpaw stance, felt he’d won and was left asking for a rematch. Diaz said he either wants a rematch with Paul or to go back to the UFC to challenge welterweight champion Leon Edwards.
Masvidal had a good argument because he rocked Diaz several times, but Diaz’s chin is solid and his conditioning is first-rate.
“I definitely thought I landed more meaningful shots,” Masvidal said. “If you see the video, the judges will see they were a little misguided by the crowd. Every time he landed a little jab, everybody went nuts. But the hardest shots, I definitely landed them and I never got hurt.”
Nobody who saw him fight will care that he lost. He put on a show. Nobody who watched was concerned that no belt was at stake, or that these guys entered the fight with record of 0-1 and 1-0, respectively.
That doesn’t matter.
The story of Diaz versus Masvidal is simple: Real fighters sell. Real fighters become attraction. Protecing a record is the worst things a fighter, or, more appropriately, a boxer, could do.
This was an even made up wholly by the fighters themselves, and it had more than double the attendance of the Stevenson fight in Newark.
Hopefully, someone with power in boxing gets that message and gets it soon.
Esther Lin/Fanmio
Nate Diaz celebrates his win over Jorge Masvidal Saturday.