One Final Chance for Boxing to Save Its Image

Boxing has shot itself in the foot yet again. As referee Luis Pabon stepped in to stop the fight in the third round, you could sense that the sport knew. They have one last chance to save themselves and regain some credibility.

Last night, there were wins for two of the biggest personalities in boxing. In Manchester, David Haye crushed Audley Harrison, stopping him in the third round. Across the ocean, Manny Pacquiao put on a master-class to win all twelve rounds against Antonio Margarito. However, there are only two fights that boxing fans really want to see involving those two men. Unfortunately, who knows whether we will ever see them?


David Haye has claimed all along that he wants to unify the heavyweight division. That he wants to restore credibility to the division by beating the best. However, since winning the title from Nikolay Valuev, he has fought John Ruiz and Audley Harrison.

Whilst he is a good talker outside the ring, Audley Harrison should never have been anywhere near a title shot. He was simply there for the payday. Various boxing promoters have echoed these sentiments. “I never changed my views that Haye would win within three rounds. I don’t think Harrison should have been allowed to fight.” The words of Frank Maloney, a British boxing promoter.

Frank Warren was of a similar opinion: “I thought Audley Harrison was disgraceful. One person turned up, took his purse and that was it. He did not try to get into any shape or form and that’s a disgrace to any fighter who gets an opportunity like that.”

After all the hype, the fight itself was a bitter disappointment. Neither boxer landed a single punch in the first round, leading to the crowd booing the fight within the opening two minutes. The second round was no better. Harrison landed one jab, whilst Haye connected with a couple of weak shots. The booing continued.

And it was all over in the third. Haye was simply too fast and too powerful for Harrison. It begs the question of why the fight was even made. It is difficult to avoid the thought that it was simply made to make the two fighters some money.


David Haye must now manage to agree terms to fight one of the Klitschko brothers. There is simply no other fighter that he could put on a credible fight with. Yet, this has been the case for over a year now. Each side claims that the other is trying to avoid them. However, they need to sit down and do whatever it takes to make the fight happen. If not for each other, for the credibility of their sport.

Bernd Bonte, the manager of the Klitschko brothers, has today said they would be willing to fight Haye if all money from the fight is split 50-50. He has also said there would be any form of rematch clause. Supposedly the Klitschkos want Haye and Haye wants the Klitschkos. So stop the verbals and get the contract signed.

Across the Atlantic, Manny Pacquiao once again demonstrated why many believe him to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He was magnificent in demolishing a good fighter in Antonio Margarito, leaving the Mexican a bloody mess by the time the final bell rang. Whatever your views on whether Margarito should even be allowed to fight any more after his previous antics is another matter, but he stood no chance against the sheer class of Pacquiao.


As for Haye, there is only one opponent left for Manny Pacquiao – the undefeated Floyd Mayweather. For a few glorious weeks earlier this year, we thought the super-fight of the decade was on. However, it was only another false dawn for a sport that desperately needs something to boost its image.

If they cannot somehow agree terms to fight each other, it is likely that we may have seen the end of Manny Pacquiao. Having recently been voted into Parliament in the Philippines, Pacquiao has often said that this would be his last fight. However, he would surely not retire if Mayweather was the final option.

Manny's promoter, Bob Arum, has today stated that fixing Pacquiao v Mayweather is his top priority. However, as with Haye, we have heard it all before. They need to stop talking the talk, and start walking the walk. Stop talking about signing the fight and just get it signed.


Whichever way you look at it, boxing lost a lot of credibility last night. For years, boxers have been accused of protecting their records by ducking the big unification fights. Fans don’t want to see their favourites simply beating up on someone who shouldn’t be in the ring with them. Boxing fans want to see the best fighting the best.

And this is why boxing desperately needs a Haye v Klitschko fight. And this is why boxing desperately needs the Pacquiao v Mayweather fight. Anything other than these and boxing fans may begin to desert the sport.

DW

More than just a game - the mixed impact of football in Honduras

Often people that do not understand the passion for football question why so many people care about 22 players running around after a ball for 90 minutes. Even some passionate fans feel that it is simply a game, and nothing more important than that. However, try telling that to football fans in Honduras. Football has caused both tragedy and healing in the Central American country over the past 40 years. Both war and peace; both preceding and preventing violence; football is more than just a game there.

In 1969, the so-called ‘Soccer War’ broke out between Honduras and El Salvador. Whilst the war was not solely as a result of the football, the match between the two nations was widely seen as the catalyst for the outbreak of violence. Honduras travelled to El Salvador in a playoff for a place in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, but went down to a 3-0 defeat. A bad tempered game, where the Hondurans were subjected to abuse, xenophobia and outright hatred, just as the Salvadorans had been in the reverse fixture back in Honduras. Indeed, the Honduran coach, Mario Griffin, commented that “we are awfully lucky that we lost.”


Honduran fans were attacked in San Salvador, both before and after the match, the Honduran flag and national anthem were insulted, leading to relations between the two sets of fans and populations becoming extremely strained. Salvadorans residents in Honduras were killed or attacked, including several vice consuls, and thousands began fleeing the country. Less than a month after the match, the Salvadoran army and air force launched a full-scale attack on Honduras. The war lasted only four days until a cease-fire agreement was reached, but a final peace settlement would not come for over a decade. Over 3,000 people were dead – the majority being Honduran civilians – whilst thousands more were left homeless. The economic situation in Honduras was affected by the expulsion of almost 100,000 Salvadorans.

Whilst there were far more complex reasons behind the war, hinging mainly around economic disparities between the countries, the events surrounding the football match are often viewed as the catalyst for the outbreak of violence. It gives a whole new importance to football beyond merely a game for 22 people.

However, football can also act as a major healer. Fast-forward to October 2009, and once again, the Honduran national side travelled to El Salvador in the final qualifying match for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. They knew that they had to win, and needed the USA to beat Costa Rica, to ensure qualification. However, the game took place amid a situation of political turmoil in Honduras. Democratically elected President, Manuel Zelaya, had been forced into exile last July following a power struggle concerning his plans for constitutional change.


The scenes inside the stadium in San Salvador were confused for the Hondurans. They wrapped up a comfortable 1-0 victory, after top-scorer Carlos Pavon had headed the ball home just after the hour mark. However, Costa Rica had gone 2-0 up against the USA, and when the final whistle had gone in San Salvador, the Americans had pulled one goal back, but the Hondurans thought they had missed out. However, a 95th minute equaliser confirmed Honduras’ place in South Africa.

Honduran FA President and former Honduran President, Rafael Callejas, said that “if we had not qualified for the World Cup, the differences in Honduras would have become enhanced and probably we would have had high levels of violence. People were tranquilised by the game; it gave them hope and happiness.” Now, the political crisis in the country seems to have resolved itself and is nearly over. Whether this would have happened without the success of the national side is a different question.

It is not the only example of football, and sport in general, having far more extensive effects that people would expect. The qualification of the Cote d’Ivoire in 2006 helped to distract attention from the civil war raging in the country. The mix of different ethnic and religious groups in the national team helped the country to bond, and a cease-fire was declared and observed during the tournament. As one Ivorian said, “everyone is thinking about soccer and the World Cup, and we have forgotten about the war. Thanks to soccer, the country is going to reconcile its differences.”

Iran’s qualification for the 1998 World Cup led to massive celebrations, alcohol-fuelled parties and women throwing off their veils. Some thought that the qualification that may have been the spark that overthrew the government. It was not to be, but the impact that football can have on the population of a country is clear.


Other sports can have a similar effect as well. The Filipino boxer, Manny Pacquiao, is a true hero back in the Philippines. Virtually the entire country stops during his fights, and crime rates fall to zero during the period of the bout.

Football has often been described as an international language. The influence of football in Honduras over the years has shown that anyone that views football solely as a game severely underestimates the impact that the sport can have on emotions in a country, and even the political future of the nation.

What about when a fist hits a head?

It was set to be the most anticipated fight in the past decade, perhaps ever. With estimates of between $200m and $250m gross takings for the event, expectations were high for the contest between the two men vying for the title of the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. In one corner is Manny Pacquiao. He is a national hero in his homeland of the Philippines, where he is running to become a congressman. Indeed, during his fights, crime in the Philippines reportedly drops to zero. In the other, ‘Pretty Boy’ Floyd Mayweather – the flash, arrogant American; he is known to regularly blow six figures sums of cash on professional sports, and is not afraid to shy away from the spotlight. However, on the 6th January, 2010, the fight was called off over a dispute about the manner of drugs testing ahead of the fight.

In boxing, more than any other sport, the issue of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) is a critical safety issue. Former World Heavyweight champion, John Ruiz puts it well. “The only sport in which steroids can kill someone other than the person using them is boxing. You’re stronger when you use steroids. You’re quicker and faster. If a baseball player uses steroids, he hits more home runs. So what? I’m not saying that it’s right, but you’re not putting anyone else at risk. When a fighter is juiced, it’s dangerous. People go crazy about the effect that steroids have when a bat hits a ball. What about when a fist hits a head?”

Cheating in any sport is frowned upon. A recent scandal in boxing revolved around Antonio Margarito, who was banned for 12 months, following controversy over tampered handwraps. Ahead of his fight with Shane Mosley, Mosley’s trainer observed that Margarito had a pasty white substance in his handwraps prior to the fight. This was later shown to be a substance similar to plaster. This outcome has shed doubt over Margarito’s prior victory over Miguel Cotto, whose face was left a bloody mess toward the end of the fight. The effect of the plaster in his handwraps would have made it feel like you were being hit with bricks. Miguel Cotto has not been the same fighter since the battering he took at the hands of Margarito.

However, currently the tests for PEDs in boxing are relatively lax. No state athletic commission or world sanctioning organisation tests adequately for PEDs and only a handful of states test for steroids. Indeed, under the current system, fighters know in advance when they will be tested, allowing sophisticated users to test ‘clean’. Furthermore, no state athletic commission tests for human growth hormone, and chemical traces of synthetic EPO can be eliminated in a well-educated user in less than 24 hours. This is where the disagreement that caused the cancellation of the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight came about.

As part of the negotiations for the fight, Team Mayweather was demanding that both fighters submit to the Olympic style drugs testing. This is the style of drugs testing promoted by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and which all Olympic athletes must submit to prior to competing in the competition. Under this regime, the participants must submit to unlimited random urine and blood testing without any advanced notice from the start of training, right through until the day of the fight. While this has not been adopted in boxing before, it does not seem unreasonable for Team Mayweather to request this, simply to prove to the watching world that both fighters are clean.

Indeed, this was originally accepted by Team Pacquiao, who claimed that they had no problem with submitting to this. However, in return, they had several demands of their own. Firstly, they wanted the fight to go ahead with 8oz gloves, rather than the standard 10oz gloves. So long as both parties agree to this, these are allowed. Despite the fact that Mayweather usually fights with the traditional 10oz gloves, he accepted the request the following day. After this, Team Pacquiao then demanded a $10m penalty on Mayweather if he came in over the 147lbs limit, which Mayweather again agreed to.

Then suddenly, reports came out that Pacquiao was afraid of needles, despite having multiple tattoos, and had superstitions against blood testing. He demanded a 30-day cutoff ahead of the fight, claiming that having these tests within 30 days of the fight weakened him and would put him at risk in the fight. However, Team Mayweather countered with the evidence that he had undergone blood tests only 24 days before his previous fight against Ricky Hatton. In response, Team Pacquiao demanded a 24-day cutoff point ahead of the fight. Team Mayweather offered to meet in the middle and offered a 14-day cutoff. However, Team Pacquiao refused this and declared that the fight was cancelled.

This whole event has raised questions over Manny Pacquiao’s meteoric rise through the weight divisions over the previous couple of years. Despite failing to win on five separate occasions in the lower weight categories, he has risen up through the divisions to become the pound-for-pound king, fighting in the welterweight division. Whilst this stunning rise raises the possibility of external help, it is not proof of anything. Indeed, Floyd Mayweather has made a similar rise up through the divisions, from super featherweight to welterweight. However, he made the move over a longer, more sustained time period.

It is the rapid rise of Pacquiao that has raised the questions. Over the space of only 9 months, Manny Pacquiao managed to pack on an additional 15lbs of pure muscle onto his 5`6½ frame. This is a remarkable increase in lean muscle mass for any fighter, let alone one that is into his thirties. As Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach reveals, “not only is he getting stronger; he’s actually getting faster as he moves up in weight.” However, he does reveal his frustration that Manny will not allow him to do all of the tests that he would like to do, resisting those that involve invasive methods. This could be taken as an argument for either side – either that he has something to hide, or that he does have an aversion to these invasive methods.

As much as its supporters may deny, drugs are present in the sport. Shane Mosley has admitted using steroids back in 2003 ahead of his victory over Oscar de la Hoya; former World Heavyweight champion, James Toney, has failed two drugs tests; and Evander Holyfield has been implicated in the fallout of the Balco scandal. The recent tragedy involving former Lightweight Champion, Edwin Valero, has highlighted the fact that drugs are being used by boxers and not detected in tests. He was a cocaine addict, but never failed a test before or after any of his fights. Tragically, last month, he was arrested for the murder of his wife, and committed suicide in his prison cell the following morning.

On Saturday night, Floyd Mayweather came through his fight with Shane Mosley, reigniting the expectations of a meeting with Manny Pacquiao. The Mosley fight was performed under the Olympic style drugs testing, and Mayweather has claimed that he is attempting to clean up the sport. Whether the two camps will be able to come to an agreement over the drugs testing is debatable – although noises from the Pacquiao camp suggest that he is open to the 14-day cutoff proposed as a compromise by Team Mayweather.

Boxing needs this fight to happen – it has the potential to reinvigorate the flagging sport. However, the issues raised over PEDs in the sport are potentially more important than the fight itself. Nobody likes a cheat in any walk of life, and the use of these PEDs is a clear and blatant form of cheating. However, in boxing more than in any other sport, their use has the potential to cause serious harm to people other than the user. Surely it is in the best interests of the governing bodies and state athletic commission to implement the Olympic style of drugs testing. It is good enough for Usain Bolt; it is good enough for Sir Chris Hoy; it is good enough for all the current Olympic athletes. In that case, why is excessive for Manny Pacquiao, and boxers in general?