Why my Love for Boxing is Wavering
He's living over there, but really he's dead….And nobody cares. Frankly, nobody ever will care. But I care.
--Denny Moyer’s wife Sandy Moyer
I recently reviewed the just released documentary “After the Last Round” and that film just stopped me cold. It also scared the hell out of me, particularly juxtaposed against the work and research I have been doing on my series, “The Darker Side of Boxing," because it seemed to validate every suspicion I have.
In the film, the sight of the Moyer brothers, Denny and Phil, walking down a path holding each other’s hands and both wearing plastic helmets to protect them from a fall was both poignant and horrific. The sight of their 90 year old father Harry Moyer feeding them was indelible.
Denny, the first ever world light-middleweight champion, has since passed away in a nursing home in his home city of Portland, Oregon, on June 30. He was 70 and had suffered pugilistica dementia for many years. Phil, totally incapacitated with the malady, remains in the same nursing home enshrouded in a fog of living death.
Amazingly, both brothers held victories over Sugar Ray Robinson. I watched both fight on television on many a Friday night back in the day. During 1960, Denny Moyer went 4-2 while fighting the likes of Pat Lowry, Tony DeMarco, Emile Griffith (twice), Benny “Kid “‘Paret, and Jorge Fernandez. Later I recall watching a young and hungry Vito Antuafermo (24-1) brutalize an aging Denny (95-34-10) over 10 savage rounds in the Garden in 1974. I also recall how Phil Moyer beat a guy with an 88-30-10 record in only his 5th pro fight.
On top of this, watching Roy Jones recently be rendered unconscious (once again) by someone he would have knocked out in his prime was personally painful. Ironically, the film showed Jones as an example of someone dishing out brutal punishment.
Finally, having recently written a lengthy article titled “Remembering Greg Page” for a boxing magazine, my pendulum of love and hate is once again moving and the move is one that is challenging my love for boxing. This has happened before and the passion always returned, but right now it’s just not there. In fact, if boxing were banned tomorrow, I now ask myself, could I live with it? For the first time, I hesitate with an answer.
Some call boxing a barbaric sport where the sole objective is to concuss an opponent without killing him. Others refer to it as a "noble art"—a sweet science which is a beautiful sight to behold. As an unabashed aficionado, I always try to keep these two realities in proper perspective. However, one thing I no longer will accept is the manner in which most newscasters or boxing writers continue to totally ignore the long term damage that boxing can do to both the participants and their families. Oh, I get why the establishment of booking agents, promoters, managers, and trainers ignore this, not to mention the self-serving parasitic alphabet soup governing bodies.
As a minimum, we need to write about the dangers implications of brain injuries. Anyone who has had an issue with a brain injury (there is no such thing as a minor one) should NEVER be allowed back in the ring. The Las Vegas Commission gets this. Joe Mesi finally got it. Edwin Valero did not, but that became academic. In the aforementioned documentary, they showed how one kid, a great all-around athlete named Tony Bruno, was given an aspirin by a friend after he complained of headaches after a tough sparing match with his best buddy. He then sparred some more the next day. He is now seriously disabled but is managing to cope. Watching this segment was enough to make a grown person cry. The book, Dying to Fight: the Tony Bruno Story details Tony’s valiant effort to cope.
More than likely, I will revert to the following quote that always grounds me, but right now I need to rethink things. And if that’s what the documentary was supposed to do, it succeeded.
........It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.......
--Teddy Roosevelt
Re: Why my Love for Boxing is Wavering
Re: Why my Love for Boxing is Wavering
Boxing is like my favorite, loyal whore. Leaving it is not even a consideration. My love for it never wavers.
Re: Why my Love for Boxing is Wavering
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Violent Demise
Boxing is like my favorite, loyal whore. Leaving it is not even a consideration. My love for it never wavers.
Might you be willing to share? ;D
Re: Why my Love for Boxing is Wavering
I don't see myself ever not following the sport. I been to into it for to long. Neither I, nor my sons or any of my 3 baby mommas dictate my weekends. Boxing does. Everything gets worked around it. It's just the way it is. Hell right now I'm at work. My last 15 minute break is going on 30 minutes cuz this post needs to be finished first. To much lust between me and the sport. I'll give up any of my kids mom before I give up the sport. Hell I'll give up all 3 before the sport. Yes I understand your feelings. Boxings darkside is truely dark. Earlier on I saw a picture on Fightnews of the Great Wilfredo Benitez that I wish I hadn't. It's fucked up seeing him like that. But the man knew there were risks. They all knew or know. Yet they still do it. The least I can do is watch and follow
Re: Why my Love for Boxing is Wavering
That's Ted Sares piece from Eastside, right?
I think anyone who doesn't question the barabrity of the sport we love from time to time is just sticking their head in the sand.
Re: Why my Love for Boxing is Wavering
Quote:
Originally Posted by
marbleheadmaui
That's Ted Sares piece from Eastside, right?
I think anyone who doesn't question the barabrity of the sport we love from time to time is just sticking their head in the sand.
In that case I'm buried 6 feet under in the sand. I don't question it cuz I accept it
Re: Why my Love for Boxing is Wavering
That's sad about the Moyer brothers. They were both throw backs, even for their time. They would both, especially Denny fight anyone on short notice and in their back yard. Consequently he was jobbed several times.
I have been an outspoken advocate for a boxers pension plan for many, many years and its hard for me to fathom how something has not been set up for fighters with all that cash floating around. Imo the power drunk Sanctioning bodies should be held both morally and legally responsible for such a plan.
When I saw what has happened to Frazier living above his Philly gym in a one room loft with just the bare essentials a piece of my heart was lifted.
To me, this is one of if not thee most important issue in boxing and has been since its inception.
Re: Why my Love for Boxing is Wavering
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Violent Demise
Boxing is like my favorite, loyal whore. Leaving it is not even a consideration. My love for it never wavers.
If boxing is like your favourite sport then I'm guessing your favourite sport is MMA or thai boxing. Are their any other sports like boxing I've missed?
Unfortunately my other favourite sport is football, which is nothing like boxing. The refs rarely get anything right, there is bias towards the popular teams and the whole thing is dictated by money. Oh wait football is like boxing. ;D
Re: Why my Love for Boxing is Wavering
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Violent Demise
Quote:
Originally Posted by
marbleheadmaui
That's Ted Sares piece from Eastside, right?
I think anyone who doesn't question the barabrity of the sport we love from time to time is just sticking their head in the sand.
In that case I'm buried 6 feet under in the sand. I don't question it cuz I accept it
Ultimately I think that is a fan's only choice. A sport in which repeated blows to the head occurr cannot be made safe. It can be helped around the edges perhaps, but not made safe. Danger is inherent.
But every couple of years something happenes that makes me wonder if I should remain a fan. Oscar Diaz on FNF was the last one for me.
Re: Why my Love for Boxing is Wavering
Quote:
Originally Posted by
marbleheadmaui
That's Ted Sares piece from Eastside, right?
I think anyone who doesn't question the barabrity of the sport we love from time to time is just sticking their head in the sand.
Yes, that is mine from ESB
Re: Why my Love for Boxing is Wavering
Were all a little touched to follow this sport. Boxing is my fallout shelter in life. In many ways I like it because you have to work at it to follow it, off the grid.
Re: Why my Love for Boxing is Wavering
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Spicoli
Were all a little touched to follow this sport. Boxing is my fallout shelter in life. In many ways I like it because you have to work at it to follow it, off the grid.
My first book was titled Boxing is my Sanctuary and it is because I feel safe withing the context of the sport, but like someone else said, my pleasure is feeling very guilty of late.
Re: Why my Love for Boxing is Wavering
Pleasure and guilt two side of the same coin. No issue with it.
Re: Why my Love for Boxing is Wavering
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Master
Pleasure and guilt two side of the same coin. No issue with it.
Very true. But I have been a fan for 55 years and this is the FIRST time I really hesitate about what I am seeing out there. I'm sure I'll come around, but the sleaze factor I researched in the Greg Page affair made me want to puke. Watching Jones get hammered doesn't help and listening to Holyfield deny he is on PEDS is bile-inducing
Re: Why my Love for Boxing is Wavering
Quote:
Originally Posted by
holmcall
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Master
Pleasure and guilt two side of the same coin. No issue with it.
Very true. But I have been a fan for 55 years and this is the FIRST time I really hesitate about what I am seeing out there. I'm sure I'll come around, but the sleaze factor I researched in the Greg Page affair made me want to puke. Watching Jones get hammered doesn't help and listening to Holyfield deny he is on PEDS is bile-inducing
It was for his dad. :)
There is a lot worse but the good outweigh the bad way more. King screwed a lot of boxers over, the mafia ruled boxing in the 40's, look at Ali being used for the Holmes fight. the list goes on but there is a lot more good. Roy Jones at his peak is the best boxer I have ever seen in my life time from 1986 and i would not change that for the world.
Re: Why my Love for Boxing is Wavering
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Master
Quote:
Originally Posted by
holmcall
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Master
Pleasure and guilt two side of the same coin. No issue with it.
Very true. But I have been a fan for 55 years and this is the FIRST time I really hesitate about what I am seeing out there. I'm sure I'll come around, but the sleaze factor I researched in the Greg Page affair made me want to puke. Watching Jones get hammered doesn't help and listening to Holyfield deny he is on PEDS is bile-inducing
It was for his dad. :)
There is a lot worse but the good outweigh the bad way more. King screwed a lot of boxers over, the mafia ruled boxing in the 40's, look at Ali being used for the Holmes fight. the list goes on but there is a lot more good. Roy Jones at his peak is the best boxer I have ever seen in my life time from 1986 and i would not change that for the world.
Good reply. Everything you say is spot on.
Speaking of Holyfield, he could have at least used a better alias--something like Mr Real Deal. :o
Re: Why my Love for Boxing is Wavering
Quote:
Originally Posted by
holmcall
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Spicoli
Were all a little touched to follow this sport. Boxing is my fallout shelter in life. In many ways I like it because you have to work at it to follow it, off the grid.
My first book was titled Boxing is my Sanctuary and it is because I feel safe withing the context of the sport, but like someone else said, my pleasure is feeling very guilty of late.
It may just catch up to you brother, like anything in mass quantity. I've it heard it likened to being in a abusive relationship at times.
The thing is as easy as it is to say alot of it is the big ugly brutal fact I can't stand the most....this sport has little recourse and accountability on the part of the officials and those put at the forefront to guard against abuse. Be it a guy fighting after successive ko's or three random judges who literally hold a guys career and immediate future in they're hands. In the former its medical and must take priority but from past superstars Jones jr to payed padders fighting week to week the lack of standards yells foul. Its happened from its birth...guys like Jones just give it a face and spotlight. I don't think its any worse then decades ago. Watching him get drubbed is sad but at the same time and begrudgingly he's passed medical standards other more youthful and less ktfo prone fighters have. He likewise has an accountability to not only himself but his family to make the individual decision to walk away. But the way boxing is set up its like having an open bar with no cut off when some guys can't even stand upright to order. Promoters, commissions, governing bodies, networks etc all have to be accountable, and likewise the fans as well to call bs on it and take the rose color glasses off.
Re: Why my Love for Boxing is Wavering
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Spicoli
Quote:
Originally Posted by
holmcall
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Spicoli
Were all a little touched to follow this sport. Boxing is my fallout shelter in life. In many ways I like it because you have to work at it to follow it, off the grid.
My first book was titled Boxing is my Sanctuary and it is because I feel safe withing the context of the sport, but like someone else said, my pleasure is feeling very guilty of late.
It may just catch up to you brother, like anything in mass quantity. I've it heard it likened to being in a abusive relationship at times.
The thing is as easy as it is to say alot of it is the big ugly brutal fact I can't stand the most....this sport has little recourse and accountability on the part of the officials and those put at the forefront to guard against abuse. Be it a guy fighting after successive ko's or three random judges who literally hold a guys career and immediate future in they're hands. In the former its medical and must take priority but from past superstars Jones jr to payed padders fighting week to week the lack of standards yells foul. Its happened from its birth...guys like Jones just give it a face and spotlight. I don't think its any worse then decades ago. Watching him get drubbed is sad but at the same time and begrudgingly he's passed medical standards other more youthful and less ktfo prone fighters have. He likewise has an accountability to not only himself but his family to make the individual decision to walk away. But the way boxing is set up its like having an open bar with no cut off when some guys can't even stand upright to order. Promoters, commissions, governing bodies, networks etc all have to be accountable, and likewise the fans as well to call bs on it and take the rose color glasses off.
+1
