Boxing Ain’t Dead But It Sure Needs A Check Up

Boxing is both beautiful and dangerous. Maybe the combination of those two attributes is what makes the sport so alluring. Or maybe its the lust for unpredictability, bravado, and excitement that gets people so riled up for a prize-fight. Whatever the scenario, boxing has been around for centuries whether in the form of prize-fighting, self-defense, or staying in shape. Unfortunately, boxing has been plagued with unsavory practices and those practices have marred an otherwise awe-inspiring sport. In recent years, boxing has been overwhelmingly inundated with ceremony and politics as opposed to showcasing the age-old skills that have withstood the test of time. There are so many contenders and champions who put their reputation, pride, and sometimes lives on the line to showcase their skills and to find out who the best man in the ring is. These combatants are modern-day gladiators who do battle to receive recognition and compensation. Because boxers are wired differently than most people, referees in the ring and doctors outside of the ring protect boxers (sometimes from themselves) from taking unnecessary punishment. However, more needs to be done to protect and preserve the tradition of boxing and it’s participants without compromising it’s integrity. Boxing has indeed withstood the test of time but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t evolve to be made to be a better, safer, and more entertaining sport. Here’s are 12 ways (rounds) in which boxing could use a much-needed and a rather invasive check up.

Round 1

Legal Representation:

Boxers need to have legal representation, a union, and a retirement plan similar to what the NBA has in place for its players. It is inconceivable and barbaric that in the 21st century boxers do not have an organized system in place that provides them with some sort of pension, insurance, financial advisement, or an objective legal party who can help them dispute any legal grievances. Not only do boxers entertain the public and provide excitement and inspiration to those who follow the sport, boxers also generate a substantial amount of money for those who are able to profit off their pain, sweat and blood. Protection and advisement would help boxers stay healthy longer and may help them to reap and keep the rewards of their labor.  Boxers should not discarded and left to their own devices once they can no longer perform as the gladiators were in ancient Rome.

Round 2

Random Drug Testing:

All boxers should be subject to undergo random drug testing. A system needs to be in place to protect boxers from “the punches that they don’t see coming”. It’s one thing to use P.E.D.’s (Performance Enhancing Drugs) to hit a baseball, but it’s entirely a different ball game when a trained boxer hits another boxer with a performance enhanced punch. That punch could slur someone’s speech, end someone’s career, or take someone’s life.

Round 3

Lifetime Ban For Repeat Offenders:

Boxers and trainers, who have a history of using illegal substances such as Plaster of Paris or P.E.Ds. should be stripped of their purses, fined, and banned from boxing for life. The stakes are too high for trying to gain a competitive edge in boxing. What works in the ring can work outside of the ring as well…Severe punishment sends a strong message.

Round 4

Leadership:

Boxing needs to have one governing body that polices promoters, referees, and repeat offenders. Just as the NBA, MLB, and NFL have commissioners to protect both the players and the integrity of their sports, boxing needs to have someone who can enforce rules and eliminate unsavory practices and hold people accountable. Boxing is a beautiful sport, but the corruption that resides in it is akin to the days of prohibition. Why are we still ok with this?

Round 5

Open or Transparent Scoring:

In mostly every other sport, scores displayed out in the open for the fans and for those who are engaged in competition to see. The scores tabulated by each judge should be displayed by round for everyone to see. Not only would this bring more excitement to boxing, but it will force boxers to adjust their game plan because they know the score round by round. Why do boxers and their corners need to play guessing games until the end of the fight only to be shocked by the outcome? How many times have we watched a fight and couldn’t believe what the scores were? Let’s remove the shroud of doubt and keep scoring open and visible.

Round 6

Instant Replay:

If there were any questionable knock downs that the referee missed, then he should be able to go to the replay between rounds or after the fight. There are too many times where a fight can be won and lost on a missed call by the referee for instant replay not to be implemented. The referee should instruct the judges to reflect the missed call in their scoring. Clearly, we have the technology, why aren’t we using it?

Round 7

Accountability:

Judges need to be held accountable for their scoring because they often times determine who wins or loses a fight. Wins, but especially losses are crucial in boxing and can derail a potential prospects career. Worse yet, a few losses (whether controversial or not), can turn a former prospect into an obscure journeyman, and judges should not have that kind of unchecked power.

Round 8

Youthful Injection:

Some diehard boxing fans despise Mixed Martial Arts and visa versa. One thing that boxing can learn from MMA is it’s marketing strategy. Mixed Martial Arts demographic represents a younger audience. Statistically boxing shows that it’s generally for older people. Sometimes boxing also feels like it’s for older people. Younger people and women have money too and they should be targeted more. Youth can be invigorating and can inject new ideas, new blood, and new excitement into boxing. After all, people who follow boxing are always looking for the next new young prospect, so being young and strong can sometimes be an asset as opposed to being old, stale and set in one’s ways.

Round 9

Unbiased Announcing:

Die hard boxing fans know that sometimes what they are seeing and what the announcers are saying are two entirely different things. Sometimes a person may even have to resort to putting a fight on mute in order to see the fight progressing as it is, and not how the announcers are calling it (which is usually pro the favorite). The announcers should objectively call a fight how the fight actually is unfolding and not how they want to see it unfold.

Round 10

End the Promotion Cold Wars:

Promotion companies bickering over contracts and keeping the fighters attached their companies fighting each other are holding the sport hostage. This practice denies the fans of seeing the best competition being pitting against each other. It also robs the fans of seeing the best fights possible being made. Speaking of robbery, the promoters are the only one’s who win in this scenario because they essentially own both the horses running in a two-horse race. Are Marquez and Pacquiáo going to duke it out for a 10th time? Seriously, let’s hope not.

Round 11

No More Home Cookin’:

Boxers have an advantage in their respective home towns or in certain areas where they fight pretty often. Sometimes that advantage leads to an undeserved victory when a fighter is in his hometown. How is that possible? How can “objective/professional” judges be influenced by the crowd or by a specific location? Everyone loves their mother’s home cooking, but there’s no room in mama’s kitchen for referees and judges.

Round 12

One True Champion, One Title:

If you ask anyone who won the World Series, the Superbowl, the NBA Finals, or the World cup, there’s always one team who won therefore, there’s only one definitive answer. Ask the same question in boxing and the answer turns into multiple choice. There are too many factions or versions of a championship or title per weight class/division. To eliminate paper champions and in order to have one true champion, there needs to be one champion or title holder for each division. Everyone loves a champion, so it’d be nice to know who the true champion really is in boxing.