PUTTING FANS FIRST! WILL RECESSION FORCE BOXING BACK TO STADIUMS?
March 15th, 2010 By Frances Martel
NEW YORK, NY- This past week, mother of all sports blogs Deadspin (which mostly focuses on team sports but once in a while takes a break to talk about Wapakman or defend Johnny Weir) dropped in on the sweet science to remind boxing fans of how unpopular are sport is and, more importantly, remind us why. The self-designated sport’s keeper Bob Arum got grumpy last week because the MGM Grand refused to let him book last Saturday’s predictable evisceration of Joshua Clottey (34-4, 20 KOs) at the hands of Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs). Sure, the excuse they gave (apparently the excuse the MGM gave Arum was that Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) would be fighting Paulie Malignaggi (27-3, 5 KOs) there at the time?) was completely bizarre and obviously untrue, but Arum took the opportunity to lash out at the entire city of Las Vegas, accusing it of sinking the entire sport:
“I look at these Vegas fights and I look ringside and all I see is people from Hong Kong. Nothing but guys from China. You aren’t going to grow boxing’s brand like that. The casinos don’t give a damn about anything other than their customers, and it becomes a circus act.”
ARUM AFTER A NEW ‘CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT’?
So for those of you that sense discrimination against Asian people out of those of us that may prefer our steroid tests standard and our boxers honest, here’s a taste of what an actual racism statement (whether Arum meant it that way or not) sounds like. The damn Chinese—it’s their fault boxing is going down the drain! That’s really the only explanation. Never mind the fact that the sport’s pound-for-pound champion is under some serious suspicion for supplement shenanigans and refuses to take the requisite tests to prove his detractors wrong. Never mind that it seems the only people actually willing to fight contenders that stand a chance are the heavyweights, and the bar for being a successful heavyweight champion has been so lowered that there was a time not too long ago when Nikolay Valuev (50-2, 34 KOs) was considered one of boxing’s best.
REMEMBER THAT ‘RECESSION’ EVERYONE KEEPS TALKING ABOUT?
And please especially neglect that the most likely reason for the Asian invasion ringside is that Arum and his team (and many promoters like him) insist on bleeding the fans dry for decent fight tickets at a time when America is suffering one of the worst economic recessions in history. There is a very obvious reason for there being so many Chinese patrons of the sport: our country owes them something in the neighborhood of $800 billion. China is thriving, and for the first time wealthy Chinese businessmen are being able to afford luxuries like trips to America with the express purpose of enjoying the fight game. And Americans, especially the wealthiest among us (like Arum), should not begrudge them for it– we should do like Americans always have throughout the country’s history and be innovative about it.
BEFORE WE RETURN TO STADIUMS, TRY OTHER VENUES?
The good news is that something positive did come out of Arum’s racist rant– he and many around the sport are contemplating larger, more economically sound venues to give more spectators the chance to participate in the sport first-hand. Michael Buffer is also quoted in the article as promoting the possibility of stadium fights over casino fights, giving viewers with nosebleed seats a chance to get in on the action via tv screen too. Granted, the entire approach of abandoning casinos as traditional venues is completely misleading. Madison Square Garden, the true Mecca of boxing, is hardly a casino and boasts a pretty large screen. The tiny nature of the ring compared to many other sports fields means that, even if a screen were necessary, the stadium would be an awkward and unnatural place, though any move towards a new, more inexpensive venue is positive. A ring could fit in most concert or meeting venues, the kind of place that is not necessarily tied to a team or location but could provide the right kind of nighttime atmosphere boxing is, in its cultural core, all about.
PUTTING THE FANS FIRST
While it is very sad that it took a shot to the ego to get Arum thinking after so many years of watching the population of sports views wane– and even more pathetic that the reaction was marinated in arbitrary bigotry and envy at a nation that is doing better than we are at the moment– it’s nice to see at least a move in the right direction. Stadium fights are neither culturally applicable to the sport, nor will they do much to help its popularity, but it’s the kind of thinking that leads to brainstorming the idea that will help. Fights belong in concert venues like MSG and Radio City, not at Yankee Stadium, but fight fans belong at fights much more than casual wealthy observers do, Chinese or otherwise. And anything that will help give more devoted fans the ability to experience a fight live is a good thing.
Frances Martel
Good article Frances Keep it up. U r very objective and i like ur fearless approach, u r not afraid to say the truth as it is.
Keep the good work
In case you didn’t know. Pacquiao had an affair with a prostitute who worked in a brothel. He had a child with the woman and refused to support his kid. He would later on pay her a out of court “settlement”. Pac promised he wouldn’t cheat again, but he recently cheated with an actress while making a movie. This angered the family of his wife, Jinkee, and they are planning to boycott him in hopes to damage his chances to win the election. He’s a fraud!
Take the drug test Manny!
Wow, Arum accuses GBP of racist statements and turns around and drops the same kind of language. That poor excuse of a man is scum like no other.
Thanks Frances.
SKERGE
arum meant high rollers are all he sees ringside. he’s right but he should have said high rollers instead of guys from hong kong. casino fights aren’t a good value anymore for the average fan. bad undercards and nosebleeds that start at $150 and all those go to brokers before tickets go on sale to the general public. so basically, $300+ available to regular fans and only a few thousand of those available.
Its taken someone this long to identify Bob Arum as a racist. This is the same man that went on camera and stated that MMA was a sport filled with nothing but white racist skinheads. I know several people from all walks of life that are not skinheads or racist that participate in MMA. Arum is a big hindrance to the sport of boxing.
oh boy!
@slipjab73, don’t forget about the rest of Arum’s MMA interview where he goes on to say something to the effect of guys rolling around on the ground like homosexuals
i think u should tell floyd to make all boxing event conduct random drug testing not only for his fight coz if he really wants to clean the sport he must go to the commissioner to change the rules and not with his arrogant and ignorant way!!! HIS ACTION IS SO GAY AND COWARD…. FIGHT AND DON’T TALK FLOYD!
What Bob Arum said is not right. I agree. But I also know that you and Pedro Fernandez does not really like Bob Arum in the first place.
But I also disagree with you when you basically accused Pacquiao of drug use because he refuse to take a drug test as requested by those thugs Mayweather family. You and the Mayweathers basically want to destroy Manny Pacquiao’s reputation by accusing him of drug use with any shred of evidence.
@StickItIn
I gave the abbreviated version of the Arum interview. I was really surprised he actually went public and made comments like that.
@GAY FLOYD
No professional boxer who steps inside that ring knowing that the possiblity exist that there life can end is gay. Its one thing to disagree with a fighters tactics but this making comments on sexuality is irrelavent. The commissions won’t add any additional testing because the cost associated with the test. Fighter’s can ask for what ever they want in a contract so long as both parties agree. Paying huge fines for not making weight isn’t a part of the commisions rules either but fighters can put it in the contract. Contracts are flexible it just depends on how agreeable the fighters are with them.
Martel quote:
“Never mind that it seems the only people actually willing to fight contenders that stand a chance are the heavyweights..”
Gary G reply:
- Not true. The heavyweights are a joke, and people that following boxing understand this. The super-middleweight tournament on Showtime has solid match-ups. Two of the participants (Froch and Ward) are belt holders (WBC and WBA, respectively). Plus, Alan Green is in the mix now, replacing Jermaine Taylor.
Take care.