FROM RUSSIA WITH GLOVES
Beterbiev and Bivol raise issue
ANOTHER big fight in America, another Russian star competing.
Boxing continues to be tone deaf and have a questionable moral compass. While other sports have chosen to ban Russian athletes while the invasion of Ukraine continues, boxing ignores the noise.
A few weeks ago it was Dmitry Bivol beating Canelo Alvarez and this weekend it is Artur Beterbiev up against Joe Smith Jnr.
Beterbiev has done no wrong, of course. Neither had Bivol. Both are against the war.
Like Bivol, Beterbiev is no longer based in his homeland. Instead, he boxes out of Canada and fights under the Canadian flag.
But boxing continues to fail to send a message. Beterbiev will be adorned with praise should he win as expected.
The victory will no doubt be celebrated back in Russia, even if flags and anthems are banned from Madison Square Garden this evening.
Boxing is a sport which does so much but sending the right message seems to be beyond it.
Beterbiev has a right to earn money but what is the point of some sports banning athletes from Russia if it is not a blanket suspension?
It’s not just the pros which has a problem.
Last month, the IBA (formerly AIBA) reappointed Russian Umar Kremlev for a second term. That’s right, he was in power, there was a chance for him to be removed and yet he was voted in again.
Obviously it was helped that he stood unopposed, his main rival dismissed just hours before the elections in Turkey.
This is a sport battling to regain trust from the International Olympic Committee. The IOC have bigger problems with amateur boxing.
But having a Russian in charge at this time, as well as sponsorship from Gazprom, is hardly helping their cause.
Neither is years of corruption and financial issues. In 2019, the IOC removed IBA’s Olympic recognition.
An IOC taskforce ran the boxing tournament at Tokyo 2020 and will do so again at Paris 2024.
Unless something drastically changes, amateur boxing won’t feature in LA 2028.