BOXING ON THE BOX
appeared to barely be catching the Venezuelan. Then, out of nowhere, referee Tony Weeks stepped in, took Barroso in his arms and waved the fight off.
The Showtime commentators were instantly baffled and rightfully called Weeks out on the decision. If anything, they were not outraged enough - this was one of the worst boxing referee decisions in recent memory.
Two similarly ridiculous finishes. And, if we’re being honest, the Romero-barroso ending was worse. In the case of KSI, it appears to be a genuine mistake that is most likely the result of poor form, both on the part of KSI himself and Fournier. But Weeks’ decision to stop Barroso on his feet when he did reeks of incompetence or something far worse.
So how do we separate the two? Or can we? [i]should[i] we? Is boxing, in its current form, worth differentiating from celebrity fights? We’d like to think it still is, but at this rate that will be a very hard line to tow.
One way there could be a clear difference is how these two fights are treated. The Ksi-fournier contest appears to have been an exhibition, so there may not be a formal process for having the result changed to a No Contest, which it would be if it were a sanctioned boxing fight. Of course, Romero-barroso was an official fight and took place under the care of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. There should be a full investigation into Weeks’ decision and the possibility of the fight being changed to a No Contest should very much be on the table. The chances of that, sadly, are slim.
YOUTUBE
Top Rank and ESPN released the first part of their behind-the-scenes docuseries focusing on the upcoming clash between Devin Haney and Vasiliy Lomachenko. Named ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears’ the show is very much in the vein of HBO’S ‘24/7’ and Showtime’s ‘All Access’.
While it lacks the dramatic flair of its predecessors, the show still provides a decent look at the training camps and lives of the fight’s protagonists. The most interesting moments come from interviews with Lomachenko, who reflects on his turn to religion after losing to Teofimo Lopez a few years ago and how language barriers have affected the public’s opinion of him.
The fight is an excellent one and it deserves far more attention than it’s getting. Shows like ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears’ do well to build hype but they no longer have the same impact as the likes of ‘24/7’, which revolutionised the way superfights are promoted.
WEBSITES
The LA Times published a rather worrying piece about a retired boxers’ pension scheme in California that is quite drastically failing. The California Professional Boxers’ Pension Plan – the only state-administered retirement plan of its kind in the United States – was set up 40 years ago to provide support for those in the sport who need it most.
The problem is that those who are eligible for this support aren’t being told about it. The LA Times revealed that, last year, 200 former boxers were eligible to receive a pension payout from the scheme but just 12 claimed it.
The Pension Plan is now reportedly not in a financial position to pay all of the unclaimed pensions.
Schemes like this one could provide a vital safety net to retired fighters, but only if they’re managed properly. This one, clearly, has not been.
MAY 20
KATIE TAYLORCHANTELLE CAMERON DAZN Coverage begins at 7pm
MAY 21
DEVIN HANEYVASILIY LOMACHENKO Sky Sports Action Coverage begins at 1am