Just over a week ago the world witnessed entertaining sport, and sport as entertainment, and it appeared that the majority preferred the former.
The sport as entertainment was the boxing bout between you-tube sensation turned boxer Jake Paul and former World heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson now aged 58.
There were many in boxing who were understandably miffed that they have dedicated their lives to the art, and some have even made it to such heady heights as a top ten ranking, but most will never take part in a bout that gives them such a financial return.
The truth is Paul is unlikely to have been given such a bout when Tyson was in his heyday. However, he may have been one of many who courageously climbed through the ropes to face the young Tyson hungry for a World Title.
Who can blame either for accepting the money on offer for them to meet? Most boxers would have accepted such a purse.
Sadly, it was as many expected far from being a spectacle. It was not even close to entertaining. The lack of intent shown by both boxers understandably had many asking if they had reached an agreement before hand, that neither would try and knock the other out. It may have been Paul had too much respect for his legendary opponent. Tyson may well have just been looking to hang in there and last the eight rounds.
It made one think back to a bout at Madison Square Garden in October 1951 which saw the young pretender Rocky Marciano take on his hero, former World Champion Joe Louis.
Marciano had turned pro in 1948 and when he met Joe Louis he was undefeated at 37-0. Up until this bout his largest purse was $9,900. Now set to fight an American icon, and a boxing legend he would walk away with $50,000, and a shot at the World Title.
Louis had retired in March 1948 but tax debts forced him to return to the ring. He was 37 years old when he met Marciano and had won eight straight fights since losing his comeback fight to Ezzard Charles. He had a height advantage over his opponent, was nine years older, and when the bell rang was the overwhelming favourite.
The bout finished in the eighth. Louis went down early on following a left hook. He rose at the count of seven, but Marciano swarmed all over him as he backed up to the ropes, and it was soon all over.
It would have been easy for Marciano to have eased up against his hero, but this was a genuine bout, a win would give him a crack at the World Title. The exchange between the two boxers after Louis rose to his feet and headed back to his corner has become famous. “I’m sorry, Joe, I’m sorry it had to be me.” Marciano said. To which Joe Louis responded, “You don’t have to be sorry. You licked me fair and square.”
The same words could so easily have been exchanged between Muhammed Ali and Larry Holmes met at Caesars Palace in 1980, in a bout for the WBC and vacant The Ring heavyweight championships. Holmes who had been Ali’s former sparring partner asked the referee Richard Green to stop the bought when he realised that Ali was failing to defend himself. He eased up on his former employer, but in the end Angelo Dundee, Ali’s trainer, against his boxer’s wishes stopped the fight in round ten.
The key factor in both these bouts is that they were genuine fights with incentives on the line. Both saw men having to fight boxers that they respected and admired, legends of the sport, but they still did the job they were paid to do. They respected the integrity of the sport and the bout.
While the enetertainment stations may want bouts like Tyson and Paul they do not do the sport or boxing a great deal of good. A sport that already struggles for credibility with so many world bodies and world titles.
There are four major world bodies the World Boxing Council, The World Boxing Association, the International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organisation. With eighteen weight divisions in the men’s competition that means that there are 72 world Championship titles up for grabs.
Many fans would like to see the Super weight divisions shelved, and boxers simply having to box up a weight if they cannot make the lower weight.With the difference being often 2-3 kgs or 3-4lbs is there really a need for the Super weight divisions?
Another move that would help the sport regain credibility would be if once a year there was a unification of the titles. The holders of all four World Titles names go in a hat and the first two out fight and the second two go toe-to-toe. If one boxer already has two or three world titles they progress directly to the unification bout. If there are two other title holders they meet and the winner progresses to the title decider.
Fans would love to see such a spectacle, and it would create genuine World Champions and stop debate as to which is officially the best.
Now on the same card at the Tyson v Paul fight was the bout between Ireland’s Katie Taylor and Puerto Rica’s Amanda Serrano for the WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring super-lightweight titles. This was entertaining sport at its best.
It was everything that the Tyson v Paul was not!
Maybe if rumours are correct at the time of writing that current Heavyweight Champion Daniel Dubois has challenged Jake Paul, we will see a genuine fight and be able to assess if he is in fact good enough to be challenging for a World Title. More importnatly this should be a proper sporting conest and not entertainment trying to use sport to attract viewers.
Here were two accomplished warriors going toe-to-toe. Come the end of the bout there were many differences of opinion as to who won. The decision on the day went to Katie Taylor. In truth both could have taken the decision.
However, herein lies another problem for the sport. Fans of Serrano felt that she had been robbed of the decision. Even some neutrals felt that same way. While there were many who believed the judges had made the right decision, and that Taylor did enough to win.
The history boosk will show Taylor as the victor and that will not change; unless the WBC repeat their farcical decision to change the decision of the Azumah Nelson v Jeff Fenech fight in 1991, 21 years after it was announced as a draw. IF they are going to do that it could be a long wait for Serrano!
Irrespective of what people think, you cannot change history. That again does the sport a disservice. (Rewriting History Is Not Recommended)
The simple solution, and no doubt one that the fans who pay the big bucks to attend these huge events would welcome would be if the professional game followed the lead from the amateurs, and that is they publish the scores at the end of each round.
This would prevent accusations of a manipulation of the scores. It would allow fans and the two corners to know where their boxer is in the bout, and how much they have to do as the rounds slip away.
Of course the promoters may not like this as the possibility of hyping up a rematch will become a little harder. Nothing helps sales than fans who feel that there is a point to prove after a decision they felt was unfair.
This card showed the best and the worst of modern day sport. It also exposed some of the problems facing the sport of boxing. However, those problems can easily be addressed, if the various world bodies are serious about protecting it’s integrity in the long term.
