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As a child, I learned that my father was one of the most understanding and level headed people one could meet. He was also very deliberate in his actions. Whatever he did, there was a reason behind it. No debating, no second guessing his decisions and never any hard feelings. When something was over, it was over and Pop never brought up the past. In his mind, you could not change what happened then, only what happens now.
There was another thing he was good at; making you drown in your own guilt. If you messed up on something, and he knew it, Pop would not question you on it. Pop made you feel bad until you came clean. Everything he did was a hint that he knew what you had done, yet he never would say it outright, he just always dropped hints that he knew.
One of his most common sayings was, “It doesn’t matter what everyone else sees, even if it is shameful, they don’t have to stare at you while brushing their teeth before bed, but you do! If your okay with what you see, then I guess that’s all that matters”.
Then, he would follow it up with, “All I know is, if it was me who did such a thing, I would have to take the mirror out of my bathroom or else my teeth would never get brushed”.
Another favorite of his was, “If you can put your head on the pillow at night and sleep with such a burden, more power to you. I would be looking for some late night movies if that was on my mind”.
Then, for added effect, he would look at me and my brothers and sisters, for what would seem like forever and smile. Finally, he would end it with “At least I can lay on my pillow with clean teeth, knowing my kids would never do something like that,” referring to whatever incident had taken place.
I guess as a kid, Pop’s expressions seemed stupid and made no sense to me, but as an adult, I fully understand. In his own roundabout way, Pop was telling us that no matter what he says or does, it won’t change the way we feel about it inside. If our conscience can accept it, then everything else is just wasted effort and formality. Of course, when we did fess up, we weren’t spared our punishment, but more often or not we knew we deserved it and that always made it easier to accept.
Accepting what you deserve. That is the subject of my topic for the day.
Have you ever noticed that people who have the most, often complain the most? That was something I could never understand. On one side, you have a guy that busts his hump trying to make the best of what he has and is grateful for anything that he gets. On the other, you have people who practically get everything handed to them on a silver platter, yet they are never satisfied.
Or worse yet, you get people who live off of the hard work and accomplishments of others and are willing to take all the credit for it, leaving the guy who deserves the recognition out in the cold. For some reason, they are happy taking the easy way, never knowing the full satisfaction of earning what they accomplished.
I see such things happening in this sport of boxing, day in and day out, things that can easily be fixed, but for some reason are not and lately it has baffled me as to why not?
These things have been bothering me to the point that I have become frustrated and it has effected my work. It has caused me to have one of the worst cases of writer’s block that one could possibly imagine and for those of you out there who have never suffered from such a thing, I promise that it is not enjoyable.
I think that it may be because there are so many topics that I have been wanting to tackle, yet really haven’t been able to pin down which one to write about first. So today, I have narrowed it down to just three. Maybe after getting it off my chest, I will feel better. At least I will get rid of some frustration and be able to move on.
First up on my list is boxing reform. This is a topic that has been done hundreds of times. So many times that I can not count, yet there seems to be no real fix to it. I do not understand how my local bag boy at the supermarket can have health insurance available to him but a professional fighter does not.
These men step into the ring, time and again and often being paid minor money. In some places, a preliminary fighter is only given $100 per round to get punched in the face repeatedly. Of course, they are not forced to do it, but like any other sport, it is one that men and women join in hopes of glory, fame and riches down the road.
It is a sport that takes dedication like no other. It is a sport that is often a means to an end for some. It is a sport that generates hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars every year.
We see purses in excess of $10 million dollars at times, but you are going to tell me that fighters can not be given insurance? Even if it is insurance that has stipulations?
Lets say that a guy has to have no less than 10 fights and fight at least three times a year to be covered by insurance. That would be a start, no? How about promoters having to get insurance that would cover the fighters for anything that happens on the night they fight for their promotional company’s card?
I am not suggesting that boxing offer family plans that let the wife bring the kids to the doctor every time they get the sniffles, just for the fighters themselves. Even if it only covered severe injuries suffered in the ring. Can we even get something with a deductible? No prescriptions, just hospital stay? ANYTHING?
The arena where the fight is held has to have insurance for the fans, in case something should happen. The union workers who set up the rings and the camera crews have insurance. Hell, the guys who tend the lot where fans park their cars for the event have insurance, but nothing for the fighters who put it on the line for our entertainment and help make the higher ups a pocket full of money? What’s wrong with this picture?
Next topic is concerning Champions who are allowed to fight opponents that are not ranked in the top ten. What the hell is the top ten for? I was always under the assumption that a fighter wanted to be ranked in the top ten so he could get a shot at the title. Is that not what this whole damn thing is about, becoming World Champion? Was there some type of modification to what the goals of a fighter are that I missed?
Now, if I am correct, the champion is the best fighter in the division, or at least should be considered the best in the division until he gets beaten. To be the best, you have to prove it time and again by beating the best competition available.
Being the best one night does not mean that you get gimme opponents from there on out. Did Tiger Woods become the best golfer by winning one tournament? Did Michael Jordan become a legend by having one spectacular game and then go on to give exhibitions at local high schools for the remainder of his career?
What about the guys who fight to make it to the top ten so they can get in line for their shot? How, in good conscience, can they keep being overlooked while the champ fights a guy ranked at number 25?
In my humble opinion, there should be a mandatory penalty. If a champion fights anyone not in the top ten, he should have to give a percentage of his purse to the other fighters. If they are not going to get a shot, at least they should be compensated for it. If this was the case, I bet champions would start defending against rightful challengers.
Same to be said for their promoters; if have your guy sign to face an unranked fighter, then you should be penalized. Since money is what makes the world go around, then the pocketbook is where the target for such decisions should be enforced. Maybe then, fighters will get the shots they deserve and fans will get the fights they have been waiting for.
Last on my list is what was once most coveted but now a watered down symbol in boxing. World titles! I wish I could name them all; IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO, IBO, IBA, WBU, and about five or six more that I am forgetting.
Things were bad enough with three titles, but then the WBO started making ground and now it seems that every time I turn around, there is a new one. I know that we can not stop these organizations from creating these titles. I know that the big three, and depending on who you talk to, the big four, are the only organizations that most consider to award legit belts but even so, how can there be that many world champions in one division?
World champion is supposed to symbolize the best. The number one guy. Are they trying to tell us that in every division there are four men equal in skill? That’s just crazy talk. The recognized champ is the one that holds the Ring Magazine belt. Except that The Ring can not do anything to control the politics in which surrounds these titles, such as the making and breaking of the organization’s own rules, whenever it suits them to do so.
Everyone wants to create a world title, fine. But, we should have a commission, not affiliated with any of the organizations, that would create a guideline of rules, rules that every organization with a world title MUST follow. This way, it is an even playing field for all involved and no one governing body can contradict the other.
Also, they must force their champion to face a champion from another of the big four in that division once a year. And, there should be a minimum on how many times a year the champion must defend his belt.
This eliminates guys just sitting on their titles and fighting whenever it suits their fancies. It forces the so called best to be the best. Again, who ever breaks these standard set of rules gets a hefty penalty. If one set of rules are made, then no one has to worry about sudden rule changes or hidden clauses that always seem to pop up whenever convenient.
Also we will dispose of these interim champions. What the heck is an interim champion? Either you are champion or your not. PERIOD!
I sit here writing this, knowing that in my mind it all sounds so simple. I also know that these things will most likely never take place, not at least anytime soon. One has to hope for such things although, or else they will become discouraged. While I sit and type away at my keyboard, I start thinking about Vegas odds on these things ever being put into effect and for some reason, I hear 1000-1 being shown on the betting screen.
I just feel that if there are some minor adjustments, things would be better all around. I mostly think that some of the fighters out there, who are not superstar quality, tend to get the raw end of the deal. Not every fighter can be a Floyd Mayweather jr, an Oscar de la Hoya, or a Roy Jones type of fighter that enjoys their success and treatment.
I am not saying that they do not deserve it, because believe me, to be at such a level deserves some extra perks…but guess what? The majority of fights that we as fans watch, are not of fighters of that caliber. It also took years for them to reach the level of where they are now. What about in the meantime? What about undercard guys who bust their back for us and the promoters, just as much as the superstars?
I think I have said my peace and for what it’s worth, I feel a bit better. This is a sport with a long tradition and many great stories, stories written by the blood and hard work of men looking to make a life just a bit better than the one they have. A sport that has become one of riches beyond that of even the great Tex Rickard. Why is it then, that some slight adjustments can’t be made to better the sport for everyone involved?
These decisions that need to be made, can not be made by me. They can not be made by the trainers, managers or even the fighters themselves. It is the powers that be who need to band together and, for just one day, work as one to improve our game, except it becomes more and more obvious that may not ever happen.
That, my fellow enthusiast, is the saddest story of all.
I guess as long as the powers that be of boxing can brush their teeth at night and rest comfortably on their pillows with things the way they are, there really is no need for them to even try.
