Boxing: The Biggest Sport In Show Business

There’s very little that frustrates me more than when something doesn’t live up to its potential. So I get downright enraged when potential just has its face spit in, by itself, then laughs at itself in the reflection. (And yes it is possible to spit in your own face. Take a few seconds and think about that).

Essentially, that’s what boxing has officially done to itself. A formerly much hallowed and iconic contest has now officially jumped the shark into becoming a parody of it, and Saturday’s conclusion to the Manny Pacquiao/Timothy Bradley bout was the organ tuning up at the sports funeral. Paul Bearer himself should have been the official that night, or at least took on Michael Buffer’s role (how awesome would it be to hear PB break out the “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble” in his shaky promo voice from like ’92?). For a sport that is already on several brinks of disaster, allowing for its co-biggest star to get screwed XNXX-style is unforgivable. And now, what’s left to care about when it comes to big fight boxing?

Before we go too far into that, I have to give my recap of what happened on Saturday. We switch from the end of the Heat/Celts game in time for the middle of round one (once we found an appropriately good link online, because no way I’m paying for boxing PPVs at this point, more on that later). Get through round four or so, and Pacman is landing everything he needs to, and it looks like business as usual, because it is. When the fight starts to look like re-run of everything Manny’s done over the last few years, save for the Passion of Ricky Hatton, I’ve chalked it up to yet another win in the holding pattern that is anybody he fights not named Floyd Mayweather.

Now here’s where the world burns. The first sign of fuckery is the split decision. I’m still not sure how Bradley, who landed absolutely no impact blows, nor enough cuts that weren’t off, clinches being broken, gets even one card. But when I hear Buffer breakout his patented “Newwwwwww (fill in the blank) Champion” call, the fourth wall just broke: boxing has just broken into hallowed category of sports entertainment.

This could have just as easily been Triple H or Randy Orton and I wouldn’t have known the difference on Saturday night.

Let’s be clear: I love sports entertainment. Ever since I realized that there’s no way grown men are punching each other in the face and not bleeding in a “Gangs of New York” style, I’ve really loved the WWE. But the match is rarely the big deal over there; it’s the whole package of getting behind a character, seeing some trash talked, somebody smacking somebody with a chair in front of his girl, and then them settling it over the next few months. There’s no expectation of realistic results, because it’s not “real” in the first place. Boxing however has always been the place where the words get mixed up, then you fully expect somebody to really beat the brakes off somebody later. And if they don’t knock them out completely, there will still be an accurate enough call to get a winner.

Well, those days are apparently over and while I’m not a sports conspiracy theorist, I also wasn’t born yesterday. The first sign of “Hey, something could go wrong here” was when word on a November rematch leaked this week. Under what circumstances would there be any reason for a rematch between these two guys? Bradley is a good fighter, but Manny is one of the biggest of all-time. If he beats him, why should the upstart get another shot?

Hindsight reveals much. In this situation, hindsight shows that the November fight was the rematch all along, perhaps even the only “real” fight at all. The fight where the “fallen hero” comes back for what’s his own, to build himself back up, right? That’s a great premise too….everybody didn’t know the outcome already.

For what it’s worth, Bradley looks ready for the part….of being an Academy Award candidate. Because he played an amazing role of the underdog; one that Christian Bale should have studied before shooting ‘The Fighter’. I mean bravo to him for portraying like he had a legit shock that he won the match. However he was the one that leaked the promo screen for the rematch beforehand. So while I have no doubt he is very humbled by getting yet another big payday to face Pacquiao again, he definitely isn’t humbled by the shock of the decision or the glory of the upset. 

The biggest fat cat on the fix though? Fight promoter & Pacquiao handler Bob Arum, who made Don King look like a candidate for Pope with the way he set this all up. Arum is sport’s public enemy #1: the reason why Mayweather and Pacquiao REALLY can’t get in the ring together, and now the author of the biggest sham since baseball’s pill popping fiasco.

But you know what Bob? You screwed yourself, and pulled boxing down to its knees with you. You tried to spring sports entertainment on us all, but you underestimated how wise we are. See this is where McMahon has always gotten it right; People don’t mind having lies be told to them, as long as they know it in advance. I got more actual competition drama, even looking backwards now, out of The Rock beating John Cena at WrestleMania a few months ago. And I’ve got a huge problem with something I knew was already decided going in giving me more suspense than something that wasn’t supposed to be. If you’re going to force a dream on me, at least let me know I’m sleep in advance.

But now the idea that “the desire to see Pacquiao get even” will make the next fight a huge buy is over. Because everybody knows they were duped already, and already know how the next fight will end. Now, in order to get your biggest ticket back on top, you’ve forced him into a match with Mayweather that now has a much lesser sense of importance. It is a fight where Floyd holds all the leverage now; because he’s not fighting a potential peer anymore, he’s fighting a puppet, a pawn, a character even.

All of the spinning and faux-investigations aren’t convincing either, the jig is up. There is nothing to watch boxing for at all now. Sacrifice Bradley to Mayweather early next year if you want to. Floyd drilling him into the ground just would further the crock it was that he was ever allowed to have appeared to beat Pacquiao.

It’s just a matter of time before Vince buys out all 300 Boxing Federations & turns them into a Wednesday night offshoot for his show.

When legacies are sacrificed for money, it’s never a good idea. It ruins the morality that people still like to believe in out of sports. When legit competition is ruined and trust is lost, there’s no easy way back from that.

I just hope it was worth it, because that was the end of an era. Maybe you should have brought out Paul Bearer to do a “Rest in Peace” for boxing at the end of the PPV on Saturday. Because it’s not about its only fitting since that’s what the “sport” has come to be now, merely off the cuff entertainment.

I just know this much, if boxing is going to keep up with the closest thing it has to a rival now in sports entertainment, they better hire some better script writers than Arum.

 

Follow me on Twitter, where both my sports and entertainment are all written by me, at @CheapSeatFan

Catch The CHEAP SEAT FAN on his Radio Rounds…

Be sure to check me out tonight live on “The Exchange” on Blog Talk Radio with Jason Clinckscales & Sumit Dasgupta. Jason is a freelance writer in the New York area who currently provides high quality insight in the New York Giants (firsthand) weekly. However, when the show hits the air, anything and everything is in play.

As for me, I’ll be discussing the Albert Pujols fallout & what happens from here with the St. Louis Cardinals. Also, I’ll be talking NBA and shedding a bit of light on what is proving to be the most pointless lockout ever.

The show kicks off at 10 EST/9 CST, and be sure to check them out every week, as it truly brings together the best of both of many worlds of the expanding sports commentary universe. Be sure to follow Jason on Twitter at @asportsscribe for more on what’s going on & live links to follow the show and topics.

To catch the show, reach the chat room and to be able to hit the line to leave your mark on the air, be sure to log on to http://blogtalkradio.com/theexchange tonight.

To learn more about the show hit here: http://asportsscribe.blogspot.com.

 

Check back tomorrow here in the CHEAP SEATS, and get information about where you can catch me in part 2 of my radio rounds this week when I get really deep into Cardinal Nation with the guys over with C70 At Bat & the United Cardinal Bloggers side of the game.

 

In the in-between time, follow me & the cold I’m fighting off with two fists at @CheapSeatFan over on Twitter.

Women, Men, Sports: Battles of the Sexes…or Sexist?

After the game 4 of the Bulls/Heat series this week I had a convo after the game that was typical of hundreds of other post-game wraps I’ve had. It was about where the Bulls came up short, in what part of the game it happened, how Derrick Rose can still improve and how LeBron James is playing much better this postseason compared to others. Solid overall talk from start to finish. However, then I realized who I was talking to, and it blew me back. I glanced down at my phone and saw for the last 30+ minutes, it wasn’t one of my friends, ex-teammates or Father even. It was my girlfriend…and she was passionately deep into the whole scenario about the game (I mean I didn’t have room to talk for at least 15 straight minutes). This was crazy to me, as I had never had such a conversation about that with a woman who is basically oblivious to all other sports. This was a real fan of this sport.

I mean....really, this can't be where we're at still.

However, the conversation didn’t just revolve around the game, rather it also went deep into how she constantly had to deal with men who automatically disqualified her opinion on repeat based on the fact she wasn’t born with the usual genitalia that decrees someone a sports fan. This angered her even more, and took my mind to that same fact that I’ve seen many women state over and over again: that their sports knowledge is often disqualified on the basis of them just being what God decided they would be. I find this interesting, and there are a few general assumptions that are an automatic fail when used to address the ladies and the game. Guys, you may not like this one, but here in CHEAP.SEATS, I’m about the game. I really don’t care who watches/comments on it (and I DEFINITELY don’t discriminate when it comes to who clicks on this fledging site of my opinions either).

Let me clear a few thing up right now.

1. THE GROUPIE VIEW: Many women are automatically seen as only watching the game to “scout the field” or to see what guy they can potentially dig into. I’m not going to say this never happens, but I will say this clearly isn’t the case for all. To say that all women who watch sports are doing it to score a meal ticket or “salvation” is ridiculous. If you’ve been to college or ever really been around professional athletes you know that the dedicated groupie is NOT sitting on Twitter every night commenting on points, touchdowns or drafts. She’s AT those events to snag them, and usually has a seriously remedial knowledge of what’s really happening on the floor (yet an extensive one about what is earned and what it can buy), let alone follows a team. I challenge you to go out and stand within 10 yards of any pro athlete, regardless of his ability, and see what’s going on. Theres a difference.

2. THE EYE CANDY VIEW: In a bit of a branch off from point #1, there is also an assumption that women only watch to see who’s cute or whatever on the field. This is not only a fallacy, but also features hints of jealousy and lack of a grip in reality. Look at it this way, even if you just like music, you’re going to notice how fine Beyonce is. Whether you know anything about her albums, life or anything else, you will notice this, admire it, and most likely do what it takes to see her again. If you like women (and really mean it), it’s natural.

Same goes for women watching the game. This shouldn’t be a newsflash, but WOMEN LIKE MEN WHO LOOK GOOD TO THEM, and they will comment on this. Just like you do with Beyonce. So if they are watching a sport and see something of that sort, they most likely wont cut corners on, so don’t be jealous it’s not you. Doesn’t mean they want to (or a least actually would) jump on them all like a free steak just cause they walked down the same street.

(Also, I’ve never been one to care about every guy a girl finds attractive and feel like he’s a threat to me and my chances either. But I’ll be damned if that’s not what I think every time I see a guy go on a tyrant about a girl “choosing” an athlete just for the fact that’s what he is. Have some confidence lads, they really dig it.)

And finally….3. THE SEXISM VIEW: I’m going to bring all of this back home to where it starts at, in outright sexism. To say that a woman doesn’t know sports just because she’s a woman is ridiculous. If she has an understanding of the game, watches it often and participates in conversations about what she thinks on it, she is just as qualified as any man. As a matter of fact, I prefer the casual woman viewer, because she doesn’t cut corners or paint a picture like she is a default guru. She’s just watching to watch, which is fine. But many, many men have delusions of grandeur of being sports gurus by default just because they watch a lot.

Well here’s news to you: most of you don’t know anything either. There are very, very few guys that know as much as they think they do about the game, and often get the definition of facts and opinions brutally confused, yet will contend they are God’s Law to anybody (especially a woman) who contests them. I can completely accept anybody who doesn’t know as much me about any game, but I can’t accept that same person turning back on a woman who legitimately knows more than him and shunning her just because she has breasts. Nope, can’t do it. There is no automatic license to know the game based on sex, and just because you played  ball in high school, got some tick on varsity and then stayed in the Rec in college non-stop to become serviceable in the sport, you are NOT an experienced genius in the game worthy of disqualifying opinions that don’t have your same “legendary” experience in the sport. (FYI: This last scenario is what most of us are anyway, because face it, if we were really good, we’d be getting paid for playing now. And you know it.) 

In the end, I saw play it cool. Take everybody based on their knowledge instead of whether they carry a purse or not. I can only think of a few scenarios in life where women don’t exactly fit in, and watching the game isn’t one of them. You could bring an entire new dimension to a relationship, or even spark one up, over a common knowledge of game you didn’t even consider her knowing about. Don’t automatically assume “she” doesn’t get it just because, she may teach you something whether you like it or not.

For a follow where all comers of real opinion are welcomed, follow me on Twitter at @CheapSeatFan