Time to Stop Looking the Other Way

[ProBox1]

Jermain Taylor, Undisputed Middleweight Champion – With the unfortunate passing of Leavander Johnson, boxing has lost not only a world champion, but it lost a world class man. After I won my title in July, I came to New York to meet the media and I also had a parade back home in Arkansas. But there was just one thing missing, and it was my IBF championship belt, which was not going to be delivered in time for these events. Leavander graciously lent me his IBF belt, the belt he fought for so long and so hard to win, and he did so without a second thought. That was the type of man he was, the type that would give you the shirt off his back if you asked him for it. I’m going to miss Leavander, and he and his family will always be in my prayers. Rest in peace, Champ.

Boxing, the once noble art, is so sheathed in disease it has become almost hard to look at without feeling as though you’ve just scoffed down a three week old, slightly blackish looking slice of pizza that someone discovered hiding behind the sofa. If that sounds a touch extravagant, it is probably because the repugnant taste left by the unnecessary and entirely avoidable death one of the sports true warriors has not yet left my mouth. [details]

[grayfist]

Well said, Don. And, thanks Rick for posting Don's piece here on your site.

The Johnson incident was just the high profile one in a series that occured in the past weeks. Two incidents in Japan that sandwiched the Johnson-Chavez fight serve notice that the need to protect fighters is ever more pressing today.

Before the Johnson-Chavez fight a Filipino put a Japanese fighter on the operating table; after Johnson-Chavez (only days ago), a Filipino named Naranjo, fighting in Japan against a highly- touted Latino fighter, was sent to the Intensive Care Unit (a piece re this by RNathanielz is on the front page). Naranjo had no business being in the ring with a world-beater. He had lost his previous fight by stoppage, it was said. An OPBF title bid?

Note on the first incident: the Japanese fighter had a sterling record while the Filipino seems to be a bit of a journeyman. What happened? May have been that the Jap got his record padded by having been given a steady diet of patsies. While a so-called "champ", he may have been way over his head in his last fight, even against someone who, at first blush was a journeyman, but had faced many of the best that his country and many parts of Asia have to offer.

I have always been skeptical about efforts to do something about protecting fighters-- the people who run boxing have such lousy collective and individual records. But my fear for the sport and for the fighters now over-take my skepticism. I am afraid that the enemies of the fight game could generate such hysterics as to force over-reaction (aka, over-regulation) and therefore rob the sport of its essential flavors, not to mention the grim possibility that media carriers could be forced not to carry anything about boxing, thereby depriving fans worldwide the chance to see their ring idols in action. An article on the front page By Mr. Blears points out that U.S. TV networks refused to air fights for a decade following the death of Benny "The Kid" Parret in the ring.

I am therefore wishing you (both: Rick & Don), Mr. Blears, Rolf, Fernandez and all the others of similar intent, all the best in your efforts.

[tracylee]

Jermain Taylor, Undisputed Middleweight Champion – With the unfortunate passing of Leavander Johnson, boxing has lost not only a world champion, but it lost a world class man. After I won my title in July, I came to New York to meet the media and I also had a parade back home in Arkansas. But there was just one thing missing, and it was my IBF championship belt, which was not going to be delivered in time for these events. Leavander graciously lent me his IBF belt, the belt he fought for so long and so hard to win, and he did so without a second thought. That was the type of man he was, the type that would give you the shirt off his back if you asked him for it. I’m going to miss Leavander, and he and his family will always be in my prayers. Rest in peace, Champ.

Boxing, the once noble art, is so sheathed in disease it has become almost hard to look at without feeling as though you’ve just scoffed down a three week old, slightly blackish looking slice of pizza that someone discovered hiding behind the sofa. If that sounds a touch extravagant, it is probably because the repugnant taste left by the unnecessary and entirely avoidable death one of the sports true warriors has not yet left my mouth. [details]

An amazingly classy thing for Levander to do....he will be missed very much