Boxing: A business for the brave
- britishboxingblog
- Jan 9, 2016
- 3 min read
As boxing fans we want and seemingly expect the best to fight the best constantly. Is this an outrageous demand? Is it realistic? Gone are the days of the elite fighters entering the squared circle more than twice a year. Sometimes naivety takes over and we like to forget boxing is a business, more so now than ever.
There are several reasons for a shift in policy for professional boxers. One of which is largely down to one man: Floyd 'Money' Mayweather (note the moniker). Several months after his latest retirement his impact on the sport is still being felt. The aftershock of his career rumbles on. There is a massively overrated hype of the magical '0' in modern boxing. All of the greats have lost fights and come back to prove their greatness. Yet in 2016 if one elite boxer loses to another he is instantly branded a bum. Those who retire undefeated are commonly dogged with criticism of who they avoided rather than who they fought.
Floyd Mayweather retired with a perfect 49-0 record but still faces criticism over avoiding certain opponents
Another of Floyd’s influences comes in the form of the most heinous of boxing crimes. 'Cherry picking'. Now being honest, I imagine most top level boxers have been guilty of this at some point in their career. And why wouldn't they? If you were offered a lot of money to do your job in easy circumstances would you take it? Or would you ask for a more of a challenge (that is a purposely flippant comparison as boxing and the general public are two different worlds)? I don't for one second believe any boxer is scared of another. You don't get punched for a living if you're worried about someone who hits a bit harder than you do. Although there is undoubtedly a fear of losing unbeaten records which plays into promoting (and protecting) these days.
A quick recap of 2015 and Kell Brook, Amir Khan, Scott Quigg, Carl Frampton, Billy Joe Saunders, Andy Lee and even Anthony Joshua have all been accused of 'ducking' at some point. And that's just from the UK and Ireland. To say these proud men wouldn't have the guts to face anyone in the world is laughable. They would just prefer to be remunerated accordingly. Take Billy-Joe as a topical example. If he said that he will destroy (unofficial undisputed middleweight ruler) Gennady Golovkin then his critics would slaughter him for “being delusional”. If he says he isn’t ready then he gets branded a “ducker”. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t. Now he comes out and admits it’s a tough fight but one he would take for the right money, and still he gets hounded by so called boxing experts for not wanting the fight! This is a man who fought Chris Eubank Jr voluntarily and has taken a who's who of domestic contenders, many of whom were also undefeated, on his way to the top.
Billy-Joe Saunders after winning the WBO middleweight title
And this is where the differences lie between those involved and interested observers. Promoters and managers have a responsibility to their fighters first and foremost. Then the fans. Yes, this is often a co-dependent relationship and supporters of any sport don’t like to they think they aren’t a priority. We as fans support fighters and contribute towards their earnings through ticket sales etc. however they have families to look after and must be responsible themselves. Boxing is a very short and highly dangerous career. We all know how frustrating it is watching potential fights fizzle away but to question the fighters' bravery is insulting to anyone who laces up a pair of gloves for a living.
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