Opinion: In the current state of Boxing, integrity has been exchanged for mockery
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I am not one to claim that boxing, or any form of combat sports has been my thing. But as we are all well aware, boxing as a sport has been around for centuries. In the 20s and 30s, boxing in the states became popular, particularly in immigrant neighborhoods where the sport was a flag for ethnic pride.
Then, in the 60s, a young and ferocious fighter dropped his birth name — denouncing it as a “slave name” — and changed it to Muhammad Ali. He was known after that as only “The Greatest of All Time” and is widely understood as the first G.O.A.T.
He defeated the heavyweight champion Sonny Liston in a major upset in 1964 and was known to “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.”
Since Ali, the sport of boxing has grown immensely. Viewers watched the sport for its blood, sweat and tears. In its classic form, the sport was not just about two dudes trading blows. It was a display of skill, strategy and sheer competitive determination.
Boxing has been revered as a sport of sophistication. Fighter footwork, defense and timing turn each bout into a chess match of strategy. More than the actual sport, boxing respected its deep-rooted traditions. Fighters historically studied the greats who came before them, and there was a sense of continuity and reverence for legacy.
But we can’t keep something that works for too long can we, America?
Boxing has and continues to evolve. But it’s gone too far now. No one expected the avalanche of social media influencer fighters we are seeing today.
These TikTok fighters don’t care about the skill, strategy or thrill of a well-earned victory in the ring. They are instead driven by the market of attention. As a result, the sport now hosts a circus show rather than a fight.
And the latest act? Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul…on Netflix. Yeah, Tyson is a legend of course. But watching a 57-year-old man trade blows with one of those white twins that blew up on Vine? It’s too much to bear.
I mean what would the G.O.A.T. say? That’s like if Michael Jordan came out of retirement to play a one-on-one game with Druski on Peacock. The drama just does not match. What’s even worse is that the ring has become less of a spectacle and more of a reality TV set that serves popularity and follower count.
From the Paul brothers to KSI, every cisgender male internet celebrity with a sizable following are beginning to feel that they can call themselves a boxer by dancing around a ring.
Boxing used to be a sport of blood, sweat and tears. Now, it’s a popularity contest where the loudest voice and the flashiest entrance wins the belt. And for the record, there’s already a space for that. It’s called the WWE.
We might as well start selling tickets to the next boxing match but advertise it instead as a slideshow of celebrity egos.
I am sad to see that the days of legendary champions like Ali and Tyson seem like distant memories compared to the state of the sport now, where every jab is sponsored and every uppercut comes with a hashtag.
So, as we gear up for the Tyson-Paul extravaganza on Netflix, let’s take a moment to mourn the loss of what boxing used to be — a noble sport of warriors and champions.