F--- boxing

Not sure who anonymousprick is, but he's on the shortlist for best-titled thread in SJ history.

 

I happened to watch an undercard bout on ESPN's Friday night boxing show. It featured Mike Lee, a former Notre Dame boxing champ with a degree in high finance, versus some 29-year-old Mexican who looked like they picked up in the parking lot of the Home Depot down the street 10 minutes before the fight. Everything in the broadcast was centered around hyping Lee since his douchy looking old man apparently pulled enough strings to get him a spot in a national Subway TV commercial.

Well, the four rounder doesn't go exactly as planned. Clearly nobody told the Mexican gentleman that Lee was the next Great White Hype and that he should bow before his greatness. Lee was awful. Slow. Not a lot of power. The schlub stood in there and took it. The knockout Lee's camp wanted never happened.

ESPN goes to commercial after the fourth round and announce that they'll have the decision after the break. They come back and out of nowhere two more rounds are added. ESPN said they had it scheduled for four rounds. The announcers said the judges had it scheduled for four rounds. Both fighters had thought it was supposed to be four rounds. The Nevada State Boxing Commission had it for six and stated it had to be completed as such.

Lee, a Top Rank fighter, still didn't get the knockout. F-- boxing, indeed.

 

Well, that's not good.

 

I remember something in a similar vein, although not with the number of rounds. I don't remember who the fighters were (this was 15 some-odd years ago). Essentially, you had star up and comer fighting a tomato can, and in the audience was the champion of whatever alphabet-soup manufactured weight category. TV shows the champ numerous times watching the fight.

Tomato Can does pretty well, although naturally, they give the decision to the up and comer. Crowd boos, but it probably could have gone either way. Meanwhile, in the ring, the interviewer talks to Up and Comer who demands a PPV title shot. Then the interviewer goes and interviews the Champ, who mouths off, and climbs in the ring and has to get pulled back by his handlers.

Meanwhile, the Tomato Can was totally forgotten about, never interviewed, and never mentioned again.

If not for the gloves, I would have sworn I was watching wrestling. F--k boxing indeed.

 

I rarely watch boxing...usually only the big PPVs (and even then, I just find a stream and watch for free...not wasting money on something I don't care that much about)...and that was a sham.

 

I'm sure the boxing industry is completely devastated that someone who illegally views their product isn't happy.

 

Heh ... they better hope that more of us don't pick up on it.

 

I would hope they are. If they made me give a shit, I might pay for it. The last fight I bought was in 1998.

 

Good historical reference right there.

 

Meanwhile, Sugar Ray Leonard and Evander Holyfield just had a phone call and decided that there was nothing wrong with that decision.

 

Marvelous Marvin Hagler can also relate.

 

One of the many reasons why I like SportsJournalists.com. People can make and appreciate references like this one.