Interesting read

Interesting indeed.

I had never heard of Bamba, and learned he was born in Puerto Rico. Tragic how he died at such a young age.

You're absolutely right when you say this: "...talentless wannabes who can’t be bothered to learn the trade, they just want to be YouTubers..."

It's symptomatic of the way of the world today, where many of today's generation want to take shortcuts to success in life. Whether finances, home ownership, knowledge, etc. They can't be bothered with the hard work and time that it takes to achieve those things. It's called "instant gratification."

In other aspects of life the worst that could happen is that you crash and burn. Maybe lose your finances... develop family or relationship problems... or become a "social media expert." But in boxing, taking shortcuts can result in death. Still... some people think they can skip the years of training, workouts, and slowly working your way up the ranks... and go straight into instant stardom. Stupid and dangerous way of thinking.

But padded records are hardly a phenomenon of the Paul Bamba's of the world. I don't want to veer the conversation... but that point must be made. Boxing, differently from other sports, either team or individual, lends itself readily to record padding. In some countries is seems more prevalent than others. You can turn pro without much of an amateur career... begin fighting questionable (at best) opponents from the very beginning... and accumulate a gaudy, unbeaten record which of course will get you noticed by promoters, networks, and the boxing world in general. NO OTHER SPORT lends itself to this kind of phenomenon.

Today, with YouTube and Instagram, the allure is even greater.