Media Review: The UFC blows boxing out of the water – yet again – Boxing News

I’M SORRY, however I’m going to be that man once more. This previous weekend there have been a number of boxing playing cards that occurred throughout the globe and broadcast on numerous totally different platforms, specifically Sky Sports activities, BT Sport, DAZN and FITETV. For followers of the game, there was a lot to sink your tooth into.

On Saturday evening there was additionally UFC 281, which occurred at Madison Sq. Backyard in New York. It was a momentous card with thrills, spills and what I can solely think about had been very excessive electrical energy payments.

That one UFC card blew each boxing present utterly out of the water. The truth is, what boxing needed to provide as compared was nearly embarrassing.

In equity that isn’t true of every part that occurred inside boxing over the weekend; Sunny Edwards turned in a commanding efficiency, Natasha Jonas was good and Nick Ball produced a thunderous first-round end. Denzel Bentley additionally requested loads of questions of Janibek Alimkhanuly in a surprisingly robust struggle.

However these aren’t the fights that dominated the headlines. The eye went to Floyd Mayweather. It went to the exhibition struggle between Ricky Hatton and Marco Antonio Barrera. And it went to the farcical disqualification of Montana Love towards Stevie Spark.

Mayweather was participating in an exhibition towards a YouTuber named Deji. It occurred in Dubai and was on DAZN PPV – sure, folks had been anticipated to pay additional for this. The complete occasion was ridiculous. Mayweather, clearly not taking issues critically (and why ought to he?), was dancing across the ring and seemingly having the time of his life. There are clips doing the rounds on social media of Mayweather throwing punches at Deji that might have barely dented a pillow.

Tommy Fury was on the undercard, although his scheduled struggle was changed with an exhibition as a result of he got here in obese. Jake Paul was ringside and labored among the commentary, although primarily simply shouted expletives at Fury. This enraged Tommy’s father, John, who ripped off his shirt and tried to struggle Paul there after which.

Hatton and Barrera, unsurprisingly, carried out themselves with far more respect they usually had been afforded that again from followers, pundits and commentators at ringside. Their bout was by no means marketed as something greater than an exhibition – and Hatton’s zimmer body walkout was a selected spotlight – however this was nonetheless two icons of the game punching one another within the head when they need to simply be having fun with retirement.

The exhibition was on Sky Sports activities and overshadowed the billed most important occasion, which noticed Jonas as soon as once more show herself at world degree.

Then, as soon as once more on DAZN, there was the debacle with Love and Spark. Love had been dropped early within the struggle and within the sixth spherical barreled into Spark, finally forcing him via the ropes and out of the ring. Love was then disqualified and Spark declared the winner.

That decision from the referee might need been slightly harsh however, both method, it was a really disappointing finish to that individual present.

What this weekend as soon as once more proved is that boxing is changing into a laughing inventory. As a substitute of the most effective preventing the most effective, broadcasters and promoters are providing up glorified movie star spars and retirement excursions.

Soccer has the World Cup beginning this weekend. The NFL continues as a world behemoth and has the Tremendous Bowl yearly. The UFC is constantly staging large occasions – together with one in Perth subsequent yr – each few months and is establishing real preventing superstars.

What can we, as boxing followers, should look ahead to in the meanwhile? There’s nothing within the schedule to blow your socks off. Sure, there are some good matchups however the blockbuster ones aren’t taking place. It’s no surprise occasions like Mayweather-Deji get a lot consideration – there’s nothing else to speak about.

Marco Antonio Barrera, Ricky Hatton and Wayne Rooney (Ethan Miller/Getty Photos)

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The WBC just lately held their annual conference in Mexico and introduced a swathe of recent insurance policies, rankings and fights that they’ve “ordered.” What was additionally revealed was that the sanctioning physique has taken upon itself to vary the results of a struggle that occurred over 30 years in the past.

It was introduced that the WBC have reversed the choice of the primary assembly between Jeff Fenech and Azumah Nelson in 1991 and have now declared Fenech the winner. The struggle was for the WBC super-featherweight title, which Fenech has now been retroactively awarded.

Whereas Fenech ought to have had his hand raised on that controversial evening in 1991, the WBC are setting an alarming precedent with this newest resolution. If sanctioning our bodies can now simply determine who they assume ought to be – or ought to have been – ‘world’ champion (utilizing standards that hasn’t been defined), then what’s the purpose of utilizing skilled judges? Or referees? Simply let two fighters slug it out, movie it, then present it to Mauricio Sulaiman in a number of years and have him determine who the winner is.

To his credit score, Nelson responded to the WBC’s resolution with class: “I’m not frightened concerning the resolution, because it doesn’t change my legacy in boxing historical past, nor wouldn’t it change something going ahead. If this can assist Jeff Fenech to sleep nicely at evening, I’m comfortable for him,” he stated in an announcement.

It didn’t get an enormous quantity of protection, however former British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight champion Callum Johnson just lately introduced his retirement from skilled boxing. What’s noteworthy about his announcement is how trustworthy it was – he brazenly admitted that self-discipline points and struggles together with his psychological well being held him again within the sport.

It’s a particular factor for an athlete to recognise that their thoughts just isn’t working in the way in which it must for them to reach their sport and to then take motion. Johnson deserves nothing however the most effective in retirement.

Boxing on the Field

November 19

Liam Davies-Ionut Baluta

BT Sport 1

Protection begins at 7pm

November 20

Jaime Munguia-Gonzalo Gaston Coria

DAZN

Protection begins at 12am