WKR Boxing Break: Paul Malignaggi is angry

by Zak Woods on Aug 24, 2009 11:10 AM EDT in Apples and Oranges Comment 9 comments

Many of you may have seen this video over at Bloody Elbow but there is more to the story than the horrible decision.

Paul Malignaggi laid in to the judges and then boxing as a whole,

Boxing has no f*cking integrity left. It's been happening for years. That's why this sport has no popularity left. That's why nobody watches this sh*t because every year there are decision like this and probably even worse than this. I don't really know how close this fight was. People get f*cked constantly. Nobody watches boxing anymore because of sh*t like this.

Ouch, those are pretty harsh words but there is a ring of truth to it. The problem with boxing is that a fighter needs 25 wins before he can begin to contend in one of the multitude of divisions and organizations. While some will state that it takes time to properly train someone in the sweet science, which it definitely does, that doesn't change the fact that most of a fighter's opponents are cans. Those that are actual competition are so hamstrung by favorable arrangements for the home town fighter that it is nearly impossible for them to win.

How does this system produce the next generation of star boxers?

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bad decisions happen all the time. the same ish happens in mma. home cooking happens in mma as well. bisping christmas gift decision over matt himil is a great example. also look at the shenanigans that have gone on in pride and dream with their treatment of Korean fighters.

as far as the wins, lighter weight fighters climb through the ranks much much faster than higher weights. there was a japanese bantantamweight champion who won the belt in his 4th fight. nobody really pays attention to them mainly because they are not americans.

if the fighter was an olympic gold medalist like a delahoy or david reid they are really fly through the rankings at a rapid pase becuase the networks want them to have a championship. off the top of my head (and not looking at boxrec) i think david reid won the jr. middleweight title in his 12th pro fight.

non olympian fighters do not get the big contracts and sign with local promotes and fall into the system. americans and higher weight class fighters are much more protected by networks, managers and promoters. a loss in boxing is big, big deal. much too much of a big deal unlike in mma. the networks love to harp on undefeated records as well as make excuses for any loses they might have. michael buffer even mentions controversial loses in his introductions.

by sonofapsycho on Aug 24, 2009 11:29 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

This American Life did a great story about “opponents” or “out of towners” in the boxing world.

Link is to a clip

watchkalibrun.com

by Zak Woods on Aug 24, 2009 11:54 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Kevin Iole wrote a great article taking Golden Boy and HBO to task. It’s an excellent read.

Basically, you become a star in boxing is Oscar De La Hoya wants you too. I mean, he was standing with Juan Diaz flashing that unnatural Jack-Nicholson-Joker smile, which, I might add, just creepier as he gets older, touting his “superstar”, knowing the decision was bullshit. He even admitted 118-110 was outragious. But, it’ll still be Malignaggi that suffers, despite putting on a career defining performance.

The interesting thing is that, more than anything, MMA benefits. When Dana White or Scott Coker, or anyone else representing MMA, want to point at boxing and say “we’re better” or “boxing’s crooked”, they have an endless supply of examples. Now, you’ve got big name fighters disgusted with the sport speaking out, lending credence to the criticism of MMA pundits. First Max Kellerman defending MMA on the biggest HBO PPV ever, than Joe Calzaghe calling the sport “dying” and saying the “UFC has taken viewers”, now Paulie Malignaggi saying “nobody watches boxing anymore because of shit like this.” The sport of boxing is imploding and it’s worse now that there is real competition in the realm of contact sports.

by Steve W on Aug 24, 2009 11:54 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

>http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=AvhfuCiisJWWXI7aReL0CgWUxLYF?slug=ki-malignaggicard082309&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

The Iole link. It didn’t work in the previous post.

by Steve W on Aug 24, 2009 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’ll watch Kelly Pavlik fight tho but yeah the sport is as close to death as it has ever been.

watchkalibrun.com

by Zak Woods on Aug 24, 2009 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

lol

it is not. boxings death is about a big as a myth as obamas “change”

by sonofapsycho on Aug 24, 2009 12:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’ll admit, I’m still a fan of the “Sweet Science” and make it a point to catch as many fights as I can. I’ve been a fan since my sophomore, when I first saw a then unknown Puerto Rican fighter named Felix “Tito” Trinidad on pay cable. And, quite frankly, I lament the state of the sport. It’s mired in conflicting egos and corrupt entities, be it promoters, managers, etc.

Is boxing dead? No. But, will it ever reach the peaks it had, be it in the heydays of Louis, Marciano, Ali, Tyson, or De La Hoya? Unfortunately, that answer is a resounding “no,” as well.

by Steve W on Aug 24, 2009 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

you cant get much higher peak than with tyson. hes just a tremendous figure and a money machine. with him, holyfield fighting into his 80s and delahoya now retired its in a transistion faze looking for the next star. however, it still gets the ratings and great buyrates from guys like manny and floyd.

once boxing loses its contracts with hbo, showtime, espn, telemundo, sky, etc. then you can say boxing is dead.

by sonofapsycho on Aug 24, 2009 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs