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Will The Pandemic Hurt Boxing in the Long Term?: A Blockbuster TSS Survey

The question for our final survey of 2020: What long-range effects, if any, will the Pandemic have on Boxing as a business and/or as a sport? Participation was robust. We received 50 responses. The respondents are listed in alphabetical order.
Jim Amato — author, writer, historian, collector: The fans don’t seem to be as “into it” as they were before the pandemic hit. This can change though in the next six to twelve months. Promoters and matchmakers need to put together some mega battles. There are several waiting to be made. The boxers HAVE to be willing to take on their best opponent. The fans are getting restless with “build-up” contests. It’s time to s–t or get off the pot for everyone involved.
Russ Anber — elite trainer, cornerman, and owner of Rival Boxing Equipment: Boxing, or the business thereof, will ultimately reflect whatever is happening in the world and in other sports and businesses. A new set of rules has been imposed on the world, and as a species and a sport, boxing and its participants will adapt to the new world order.
Matt Andrzejewski –TSS writer: Short term there has been an impact. Boxing gyms closing and the essential elimination of club shows in the US are examples. But long term this sport is resilient and there will be no major impact. Just look at the recent Horn-Tszyu card in Australia. There is still plenty of demand worldwide for the sport and once fans are allowed in, you will see them come rushing back to fill arenas.
David Avila — TSS West Coast Bureau Chief: Those who consider boxing gyms a second home now realize how easy it can be taken away.
Jeff Bumpus — writer; former professional boxer: I truly believe the results will be completely negligible. When the pandemic subsides, business will resume as it used to be. There were no real advantages or points of light to be taken from this period. Crowds are missed.
Steve Canton — voice of boxing in Florida: I don’t think the pandemic will have any long-range effect. It definitely has a short-term effect on both the sport and business of boxing. Fighters are not able to train and compete with the gyms being closed or limited and few shows being promoted with no (or few) spectators. There will be a time lapse before things are back to the way it was. We need gyms open, fighters (both amateur and professional) fighting, and shows being promoted in order to develop the “next generation” of stars. Eventually we will get there.
Anthony M. Cardinale, Esq. — fight manager: One good thing about the pandemic’s effect on the sport is to give the fighters, their managers, and hangers-on a better appreciation of the economics of the business of boxing. One critical revenue stream, site fees/ ticket sales, were stricken off the list and allowed the other side of the promotion to appreciate that you can only pay what is reasonable. As for the sport part, it has been interesting to see how little the crowd has to do with performance. Indeed, it let everyone watching know that the fighters are so focused that they do not hear the crowd, period. Finally, the lack of raucous crowd response to fan favorites, even when they miss, was taken out of the judging equation. I have always thought that the judges should have noise cancelling devices in order to better judge the bout; even on an subconscious level, crowd reaction plays too much into the judging.
Guy Casale — former professional boxer:Â Itâs similar to that of other sports! Until we’re out of the woods and better ways are perfected to treat this virus.
Michael Culbert — retired professional boxer; former Massachusetts state champion: It will have no effect; things will get back to normal.
Jill Diamond –– WBC International Secretary and âWBC Caresâ Chair: Boxing will always exist. And, when the Pandemic hit, boxing was on an upward curve. I believe that unless the promoters and the platforms find a common ground, we may never find that momentum again. Other combat sports don’t suffer from this business model and will eclipse boxing; especially when so many homebound people hunger for sports. They need and deserve the best of the best. Unless we give that to them, we will probably be KO’d. Of course, the ones who are most vulnerable are our athletes. Let’s unite and do better.
Rick Farris — president and founder of the West Coast Boxing Hall of Fame: As far as I am concerned, the boxing I loved died long ago. I only write about the sport I love, and it no longer exists. So, through the WCBHOF, I am able to live in the past. The art of boxing no longer exists
Bernard Fernandez — TSS mainstay, lifetime member of the BWAA, 2020 IBHOF Inductee: They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. The lack of live boxing, or even boxing before small, socially-distanced turnouts, might ignite a firestorm of interest once the sport is fully opened to fans not required to wear masks or to treat the person next to him as if he had a communicable disease, which might well have been the case. But little or no live boxing might have the opposite effect, and remind fans that life did and can go on without unfettered access to the pugilistic arts. Only time will tell which way the pendulum swings.
Sue Fox — legendary female boxer; founder/president of WBANâą and IWBHF: In the long run boxing will continue to suffer for an unknown time. The smaller promoters do not have the advantage of television networks, etc. to help with their indoor events. I am wondering how boxing events behind closed doors will, in the “big picture,” be able to sustain itself?
Jeffrey Freeman — (aka KO Digest), TSS writer: With this weekâs surprise announcement that President Trump and his wife now have the China Virus, I donât know what to think about the future of anything anymore. What I do know is that the free world (and America in particular) is under communist attack and that professional sports are being weaponized against us in the name of social justice. Itâs not as bad in boxing as in some other sports (not yet anyway) but itâs only a matter of time until the forces of destruction turn their attention to boxing as âthe most racistâ of all sports, pitting poor black fighters against other poor black fighters for the entertainment of white spectators.
Clarence George -writer and historian: The effects will be inevitable, but insignificant. After all, how much more marginalized can boxing get?
Randy Gordon-former head of the New York State Athletic Commission; former editor of The Ring magazine; host of SiriusXM Radioâs âAt the Fights, Incâ: The Pandemic which has decimated many businesses throughout the world, is sure to leave a long, ugly scar for many years. Boxing, along with MMA, led the sports world back into competition, albeit on a smaller scale and behind closed doors. No fans in attendance obviously affects the paychecks of all involved. Throughout history. the world has recovered from all types of disasters. It will recover from this one. Only time will tell how long it takes. However, the way boxing has come roaring back in the second half of 2020, my guess is that COVID-19 will not leave any long-term effects on the “Sweet Science.”
Lee Groves — author, writer and the wizard of CompuBox: I believe that boxing has dealt with this virus better than most sports, and thus I believe that it will once again prove its resilience. That said, the environment has changed; more champions are engaging in non-title fights and some fighters are adopting an accelerated schedule, perhaps because they are generating smaller purses for fighting less risky opponents. The recent Charlo PPV, priced at $74.95 and going up against the NBA conference final and UFC 253, generated better than expected numbers, so that’s a good sign.
Henry Hascup — boxing historian and President of the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame: The big-time fighters and promoters will come back. But I believe the small-time promoters and gyms will get hurt so bad that they may never recover. Some of these gym owners don’t have the means to stay open without some support. This will not only hurt the club fighters and the amateur program, but it will also hurt the people that work in the corners and at the gyms as well. The Veteran Boxing Organizations have also been hurt.
Chuck Hasson — historian, author: Without fan attendance, the whole atmosphere becomes dull (even to televiewers) and gradually without the excitement and noise from the attendees, interest might dwindle. Hope not.
Kevin Iole —Â award-winning journalist; covers MMA and boxing for Yahoo Sports: The scary thing that promoters are going to face is that fans have discovered that they can live without the fights. Theyâve found other things to do during the crisis. So, I think the long-term result is that promoters will be more fan-centric, pricing tickets better and making fights the fans want to see far more quickly than in the past.
Mark Kram Jr. — noted author and writer: What should happen? All boxing events should be suspended pending the arrival of a reliable vaccine. What will happen? Business as usual.Â
Arne Lang — TSS editor-in-chief, author, historian: As soon as the fans are allowed back in the arenas with no social distancing, there will be a flood of important fights like we havenât seen before. Will the fans return in the same numbers? I donât know. But I know that other sports have alienated many of their patrons during these troubling months (which isnât a value judgment; merely a fact) and boxing — by comparison — has not. So, if there is a drop-off in attendance, I would not expect it to be as severe as with the NBA and NFL.
Jimmy Lange — former fighter and promoter: I donât believe the Pandemic, once itâs over, will affect the sport itself. The business will be affected as the rest of the country is. Clearly, the bottom line in boxing is âasses in seatsââŠuntil we can open up as a country, across the board, life will not be the same for ANY business.
Ron Lipton — member of NJ and NY Boxing Halls of Fame, former fighter, retired police officer, writer, pro referee: The Pandemic has already had the most destructive long range effect on boxing as a sport and business. I refereed at the last professional boxing show in New York doing the Co-Main event at the Barclays Center on March 7, 2020 with heavyweight Efe Ajagba. Since that date there has been no professional boxing event in New York State. Everyone that loves Boxing wants to see it come back to the loyal boxing fans of New York with a venue adhering to all the protocol that the “Bubble” does in Las Vegas, Connecticut and elsewhere.
Robert Mladinich –– former fighter, author, writer, actor: Boxing was struggling in the U.S. even before the pandemic. Charging $75 for the PPV fight with the Charlo brothers during an economic downturn was idiotic. The nation is gripped by cynicism, pessimism, and world weariness. Boxing needs someone to make them feel positive and inspired. If ever there was a time to broadcast fights on free TV, it is now. I hope there is someone who can bring boxing back in the U.S. but I don’t see it happening any time soon.
Don Majewski — matchmaker, historian; affiliated with RING 8 and the NYSBHOF: Â If you are not one of the big four — Top Rank, PBC, Matchroom or Golden Boy — you will not able to subsidize cards as you will not be able to sell tickets to full capacity–nor make deals with casinos as they will not get the TV exposure. Neither will they be able to have enough live gate attendance to justify paying a site fee. The prohibitive costs of the additional Covid tests and insurance will cripple smaller promoters. It will have a profound effect on younger boxers starting out who are not established amateur stars or Olympians subsidized by huge bonuses. And we have to induce fans to throw caution to the wind and return to arenas to attend bouts. The best solution is for promoters to be more proactive with streaming options and for major, privately owned arenas – ala Barclays Center and MSG and Resorts or Turning Star — to open their own boxing promotional entities and subsidize cards until we return to a semblance of normalcy.
Adeyinka Makinde — U.K. barrister, author and contributor to the Cambridge Companion to Boxing: There will be a short to medium term effect that will be hurtful. The economic downturn of national economies will hit the pockets of fans who will not have their previous level of disposable income. And, of course, the limitations on public gatherings may endure even after the worst of the pandemic if the present modifications become ‘the new normal’. Boxing will have to adapt to survive long-term, and promoters need to think of ways to surmount this. They may want to tap into the strategies utilized by the UFC which has continued to stage events throughout the present crisis.
Scoop Malinowski — boxing writer, author, Mr. âBiofileâ: Iâm very concerned for boxingâs future. Boxing in America has been struggling and the virus factor will do further damage. There are no American stars who generate big box office and there are few super fights to spark a new golden era. Spence vs. Crawford, Fury vs. AJ must be made and they must deliver. Loma vs. Lopez can be the spark boxing so desperately needs.
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âŠWhere does an aspiring pro fighter get their experience and, just as importantly, a pay-day? Is it possible that in the short-to-medium run, streaming of events will be the new model?… Harry Otty
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Paul Magno– writer, author, official: I’m going to be realistic–boxing will probably not learn a damn thing from this. I mean, that’s just what history tells us. The hope, however, is that the fans’ sluggish return and general post-layoff ambivalence will finally open eyes as to how much they’ve done to turn off a very loyal base. Maybe it’ll sound off an alarm about the current rotten, growth-poisoning business model. Maybe it’ll spark an effort towards exposing more people to the sport and cooperating more, knocking down some of the business obstacles to give fans the fights they want to see. I’m hoping against hope that the fans not rushing back to the sport after the COVID layoff will encourage change.
David Martinez — historian, writer: It is possible with no live fan base in attendance that the average fans will vanish as quickly as a Houdini act, with only the true loyalist to remain. Until we are “completely” free of this virus will boxing or any other sport be the way it was? My involvement in the sport of boxing goes back to 1961, so I have no intention of abandoning what has been embedded in my veins for almost 60 years. May God grant us wisdom and good health for all the human race.
Ernest Morales (aka Geno Febus) — former fighter, writer: The sport will continue to suffer economically having no live gate. The lack/shortage of quality fights has caused fans to lose interest. Promoters are desperately trying to squeeze the fans to pay MORE for LESS. Fighters will be forced to take fights they have been avoiding and accepting less money. Time for less posturing.
Diego Morilla â Argentine boxing correspondent; editor with the âThe Ring en Españolâ: The effects will be felt for many years to come. During what we assume will be an 18-month situation in which travel restrictions, lockdowns and other limitations have seriously affected the economy in general, boxing felt the effect like no other sport. True, the individual nature of the sport made it easier for combatants to return to action, since you need to test a lower number of people for boxing than for any team sport. But the international character of the competition was almost completely lost since entire countries have endured a complete shutdown that will keep many fighters away from the ring and/or a significant level of competition for more than a year.
Harry Otty — (aka âBoxscribeâ); historian: It seems like the gradual decline of boxing is following a long-established path. First, the arrival of TV negatively impacts small hall shows – the very places an apprentice would learn their trade – then the TV companies are looking for big-selling events for advertising etc, then for PPV with a decent headliner. From lots of small events, to fewer small events, then to smaller crowds, and now – thanks to social distancing – no crowds. Where does an aspiring pro fighter get their experience and, just as importantly, a payday? Training and sparring under these circumstances is also an issue. Just as with every professional sport, boxing without a crowd sucks; even if you get to ‘virtually ‘ attend. It is difficult to get excited by these events. On the horizon (Dec. 11) we have Joseph Parker vs Junior Fa – it will be good to see a big, well-attended boxing event again – hopefully the rest of the world will not be too far behind.
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 âŠThat huge gap in level of activity and competition, combined with the psychological damage brought on by uncertainty and the overall feeling of “unfairness” of how things have played out, will prove to be a terrible combination in the near future, and in the long range it may reshape the entire boxing industry, with fighters resettling to boxing hotspots around the world just to avoid being left out in case of another event of this nature (a trend that has already started)âŠ. -Diego Morilla
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Luis Pabon — elite referee: Covid has affected small promoters because without an audience it is not cost-effective to promote boxing. All of the boxers on the rise are affected accordingly. Others who are greatly impacted are the foreign officials like referees and judgesâŠnobody talks about usâŠHow long can the big promotors endure without a public? Will we get PPV to recover profits?
Russell Peltz — semi-retired promoter, manager; 2004 IBHOF Inductee: It is hurting the small promoters the most, the ones who fill the cupboards for the bigger promoters. They struggled without television and now they cannot operate without ticket sales. I see how the bigger promoters are using fighters they never would have used under normal circumstances because the talent pool has shrunk. Fighters have taken jobs and are not in the gym. I had one foot out the door before it started. It must be karma because 2020 was the first year since I began in 1969 that I did not take out a promoter’s license, only a manager’s license. I feel terrible for promoters who rely on ticket sales, especially Michelle Rosado (Raging Babe), one of the hardest-working promoters around today. She had to close down her sold out (SRO) March 27 card in Philly. Who knows when she will be able to resume? I feel terrible for the four- and six-round kids who lack financial backing. The only fights they can get now are against amateur monsters turning pro or undefeated blue-chip prospects.
Ross Puritty — former boxer (conqueror of Wladimir Klitschko): Short term it has been great for boxing because people donât have much else to do but watch sports. It has reignited interest.
Dennis Rappaport-former promotor and manager: Short term the pandemic is extremely difficult and challenging for boxing. However, long term I donât see any adverse effect as long as they ultimately eliminate it.
John Raspanti — lead writer/editor for MaxBoxing; author: I don’t believe Covid-19 will have any long-term effects on boxing. For reference I look to is baseball, basketball and football. All have rebounded reasonably well. Football’s ratings are solid. As terrible as this crisis is, sports are very important and a necessary escape for our nation. Boxing will be fine.
Fred Romano –– boxing historian, author, and former HBO Boxing consultant: As with other sports the pandemic is allowing people ample time to realize that they can survive without their regular dose. This is particularly troubling for boxing which was already struggling with creating interest in second-tier bouts. I believe the flagship bouts will bounce back in 2021 with respectable interest. As always, the sport will wade its way through the troubled waters with the a crop of stars ultimately emerging.
Dana Rosenblatt — former world middleweight title-holder: The âVidâ will not have any affect on the sport of boxing whether it be in the US or anywhere else in the world. The last time I checked, the oldest professions known to mankind are prostitution and fighting for money.
âIcemanâ John Scully — manager, trainer, commentator, writer, historian: I think of all the kids who may have started boxing somewhere at a gym in this world over the last several months who now may never enter a gym after all. Kind of crazy but the next Sugar Ray Leonard or Roy Jones could have walked into a gym and in 10 years from now could have been a great fighter and a major star. The Butterfly Effect.
Mike Silver — author of The Night the Referee Hit Back: Since a live audience was no longer a priority before the virus, it will not be a priority when it finally goes away. Studio boxing was predicted a long time ago, but who knew it would take a pandemic to make it the rule rather than the exception? But unless the sport can develop new stars, promote attractive matches (donât hold your breath waiting for Crawford vs. Spence) and have one champion per weight class it will never expand its fan base.Â
Alan Swyer — filmmaker, writer, and producer of the acclaimed âEl Boxeoâ: I’d like to think that boxing will come back stronger than ever, but I doubt it. While boxers, trainers, and cutmen go without paychecks, the public’s interest wanes. Meanwhile, Canelo fights legal battles, the excitement brewing in the heavyweight division fades, and what do we get in the meantime? Rumors of Tyson and Oscar returning, plus Manny facing McGregor. Those are the contemporary equivalents of Jesse Owens running against a race horse. We need better!
Ted Sares — TSS boxing writer: The pandemic is forcing Boxing to engage in too many sideshows and that can only hurt. The key is whether bubblesâthe Eddie Hearn type– will be enough to hold the interest until a vaccine is discovered. If the pandemic lasts more than 9 months, the prognosis for boxing will be less than positive.
Rich Torsney — former fighter, boxing official: Â I think itâs huge. Small time and mid-level promoters canât finance shows without a live gate. Without feeder shows I donât see how a boxer can be built to learn the craft. Even once the pandemic subsides, I believe there will be a shift in the publicâs attitude in attending large gatherings of all types, not only boxing. And even a subtle shift will register big with promoters of club shows who are always on the edge regarding covering costs. Also, Iâve watched a few pretty good shows promoted by the big players in places like the MGM Bubble. My take on them is that the matchmaking aspects become even more critical. Without a live audience to add emotion, the participants must really come to fight or the channel will be turned. Action fighters may get the nod over stylists. Iâm worried for the sport. Without a feeder program; amateur shows, club shows and mid-level shows, how does a boxer grow?
Bruce Trampler-Top Rank matchmaker; 2010 IBHOF inductee: Because promoters canât sell tickets and most promoters donât have TV backing, there is a huge drop-off in number of fight cards around the country and the world. Because there are hardly any shows, most fighters arenât even in the gym. Why train when there is nothing to get ready for?  Best comparison is to Hollywood. Because film production is shut down, actors arenât acting and directors arenât directing. Theater owners have no films to show so nobodyâs going to the movies. At Top Rank, weâre fortunate that ESPN has given us X number of telecasts a year, but what about the dozens of other promoters who canât afford to run shows without ticket sales?
Bob Trieger â boxing and MMA writer; sports public relations consultant: Boxing will lose fans who either have found other ways to spend their time or have gotten into other sports. And I think we will lose some promoters who arenât backed by TV or streaming deals, and club shows will be more rare, which will harm fightersâ development in the long run.
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âŠin the long run, boxing suffers greatly. Fans find other areas of interest. Fighters get a year or two older, amateurs canât develop on USA Boxing cards, trainers and boxers stop going to the gym, and the sport gets set back several years which it canât afford. I donât know if 2021 Olympics happen in Tokyo yet, but wait till you see how weak our 2024 team will be. — Bruce Trampler
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Peter Wood — author, writer and former fighter: Just like Broadway theater, boxing will make itâs comebackâboxing is all about comebacks. Besides, boxing is theaterâtheater with blood. People canât stay away.Â
Gary âDigitalâ Williams — the voice of âBoxing on the Beltwayâ: I think there will be a lengthy transition while the sport tries to figure out where it’s going. My concern is how do they bring back the fans to the arenas? That will be the longest transition. That will definitely take some time.
Observations:Â
There appears to be a split between those who believe boxing will survive despite the pandemic and those who believe it will suffer a serious setback.
Some think a live audience is necessary; others donât.
Many acknowledged that small gyms are definitely in danger; in fact, the entire underbelly of boxing has been severely impacted. In this connection, Harry Otty asks a key question: âWhere does an aspiring pro fighter get their experience and, just as importantly, a pay-day?â
Where do you stand? How do you think the pandemic will impact boxing going forward?
Ted Sares can be reached at tedsares@roadrunner.com or on Facebook
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Sam Goodman and Eccentric Harry Garside Score Wins on a Wednesday Card in Sydney

Australian junior featherweight Sam Goodman, ranked #1 by the IBF and #2 by the WBO, returned to the ring today in Sydney, NSW, and advanced his record to 20-0 (8) with a unanimous 10-round decision over Mexican import Cesar Vaca (19-2). This was Goodmanâs first fight since July of last year. In the interim, he twice lost out on lucrative dates with Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue. Both fell out because of cuts that Goodman suffered in sparring.
Goodman was cut again today and in two places â below his left eye in the eighth and above his right eye in the ninth, the latter the result of an accidental head butt â but by then he had the bout firmly in control, albeit the match wasnât quite as one-sided as the scores (100-90, 99-91, 99-92) suggested. Vaca, from Guadalajara, was making his first start outside his native country.
Goodman, whose signature win was a split decision over the previously undefeated American fighter Raâeese Aleem, is handled by the Rose brothers — George, Trent, and Matt — who also handle the Tszyu brothers, Tim and Nikita, and two-time Olympian (and 2021 bronze medalist) Harry Garside who appeared in the semi-wind-up.
Harry Garside

Harry Garside
A junior welterweight from a suburb of Melbourne, Garside, 27, is an interesting character. A plumber by trade who has studied ballet, he occasionally shows up at formal gatherings wearing a dress.
Garside improved to 4-0 (3 KOs) as a pro when the referee stopped his contest with countryman Charlie Bell after five frames, deciding that Bell had taken enough punishment. It was a controversial call although Garside — who fought the last four rounds with a cut over his left eye from a clash of heads in the opening frame â was comfortably ahead on the cards.
Heavyweights
In a slobberknocker being hailed as a shoo-in for the Australian domestic Fight of the Year, 34-year-old bruisers Stevan Ivic and Toese Vousiutu took turns battering each other for 10 brutal rounds. It was a miracle that both were still standing at the final bell. A Brisbane firefighter recognized as the heavyweight champion of Australia, Ivic (7-0-1, 2 KOs) prevailed on scores of 96-94 and 96-93 twice. Melbourneâs Vousiuto falls to 8-2.
Tim Tsyzu.
The oddsmakers have installed Tim Tszyu a small favorite (minus-135ish) to avenge his loss to Sebastian Fundora when they tangle on Sunday, July 20, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Their first meeting took place in this same ring on March 30 of last year. Fundora, subbing for Keith Thurman, saddled Tszyu with his first defeat, taking away the Aussieâs WBO 154-pound world title while adding the vacant WBC belt to his dossier. The verdict was split but fair. Tszyu fought the last 11 rounds with a deep cut on his hairline that bled profusely, the result of an errant elbow.
Since that encounter, Tszyu was demolished in three rounds by Bakhram Murtazaliev in Orlando and rebounded with a fourth-round stoppage of Joey Spencer in Newcastle, NSW. Fundora has been to post one time, successfully defending his belts with a dominant fourth-round stoppage of Chordale Booker.
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Thomas Hauserâs Literary Notes: Johnny Greaves Tells a Sad Tale

Johnny Greaves was a professional loser. He had one hundred professional fights between 2007 and 2013, lost 96 of them, scored one knockout, and was stopped short of the distance twelve times. There was no subtlety in how his role was explained to him: âLook, Johnny; professional boxing works two ways. Youâre either a ticket-seller and make money for the promoter, in which case you get to win fights. If you donât sell tickets but can look after yourself a bit, you become an opponent and you fight to lose.â
By losing, he could make upwards of one thousand pounds for a nightâs work.
Greaves grew up with an alcoholic father who beat his children and wife. Johnny learned how to survive the beatings, which is what his career as a fighter would become. He was a scared, angry, often violent child who was expelled from school and found solace in alcohol and drugs.
The fighters Greaves lost to in the pros ran the gamut from inept local favorites to future champions Liam Walsh, Anthony Crolla, Lee Selby, Gavin Rees, and Jack Catterall. Alcohol and drugs remained constants in his life. He fought after drinking, smoking weed, and snorting cocaine on the night before – and sometimes on the day of – a fight. On multiple occasions, he came close to committing suicide. His goal in boxing ultimately became to have one hundred professional fights.
On rare occasions, two professional losers â âjourneymen,â theyâre called in The UK – are matched against each other. That was how Greaves got three of the four wins on his ledger. On September 29, 2013, he fought the one hundredth and final fight of his career against Dan Carr in Londonâs famed York Hall. Carr had a 2-42-2 ring record and would finish his career with three wins in ninety outings. Greaves-Carr was a fight that Johnny could win. He emerged triumphant on a four-round decision.
The Johnny Greaves Story, told by Greaves with the help of Adam Darke (Pitch Publishing) tells the whole sordid tale. Some of Greavesâs thoughts follow:
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â âWe all knew why we were there, and it wasnât to win. The home fighters were the guys who had sold all the tickets and were deemed to have some talent. We were the scum. We knew our role. Give some young prospect a bit of a workout, keep out of the way of any big shots, lose on points but take home a wedge of cash, and fight again next week.â
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â âIf you fought too hard and won, then you wouldnât get booked for any more shows. If you swung for the trees and got cut or knocked out, then you couldnât fight for another 28 days. So what were you supposed to do? The answer was to LOOK like you were trying to win but be clever in the process. Slip and move, feint, throw little shots that were rangefinders, hold on, waste time. There was an art to this game, and I was quickly learning what a cynical business it was.â
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â âThe unknown for the journeyman was always how good your opponent might be. He could be a future world champion. Or he might be some hyped-up nightclub bouncer with a big following who was making lots of money for the promoter.â
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â âNo matter how well I fought, I wasnât going to be getting any decisions. These fights werenât scored fairly. The referees and judges understood who the paymasters were and they played the game. What was the point of having a go and being the best version of you if nobody was going to recognize or reward it?â
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â âWhen I first stepped into the professional arena, I believed I was tough. believed that nobody could stop me. But fight by fight, those ideas were being challenged and broken down. Once you know that you can be hurt, dropped and knocked out, youâre never quite the same fighter.â
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â âI had started off with a dream, an idea of what boxing was and what it would do for me. It was going to be a place where I could prove my toughness. A place that I could escape to and be someone else for a while. For a while, boxing was that place. But it wore me down to the point that I stopped caring. Iâd grown sick and tired of it all. I wished that I could feel pride at what Iâd achieved. But most of the time, I just felt like a loser.â
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â âThe fights were getting much more difficult, the damage to my body and my psyche taking longer and longer to repair after each defeat. I was putting myself in more and more danger with each passing fight. I was getting hurt more often and stopped more regularly. Even with the 28-day [suspensions], I didnât have time to heal. I was staggering from one fight to the next and picking up more injuries along the way.â
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â âI was losing my toughness and resilience. When thatâs all youâve ever had, itâs a hard thing to accept. Drink and drugs had always been present in my life. But now they became a regular part of my pre-fight preparation. It helped to shut out the fear and quieted the thoughts and worries that I shouldnât be doing this anymore.â
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â âMy body was broken. My hands were constantly sore with blisters and cuts. I had early arthritis in my hip and my teeth were a mess. I looked an absolute state and inside I felt worse. But I couldnât stop fighting yet. Not before the 100.â
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â âI had abused myself time after time and stood in front of better men, taking a beating when I could have been sensible and covered up. At the start, I was rarely dropped or stopped. Now it was becoming a regular part of the game. Most of the guys I was facing were a lot better than me. This was mainly about survival.â
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â âWas my brain f***ed from taking too many punches? I knew it was, to be honest. I could feel my speech changing and memory going. I was mentally unwell and shouldnât have been fighting but the promoters didnât care. Johnny Greaves was still a good booking. Maybe an even better one now that he might get knocked out.â
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â âNobody gave a f*** about me and whether I lived or died. I didnât care about that much either. But the thought of being humiliated, knocked out in front of all those people; that was worse than the thought of dying. The idea of being exposed for what I was â a nobody.â
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â âI was a miserable bastard in real life. A depressive downbeat mouthy little f***er. Everything Iâve done has been to mask the feeling that Iâm worthless. That I have no value. The drinks and the drugs just helped me to forget that for a while. I still frighten myself a lot. My thoughts scare me. Do I really want to be here for the next thirty or forty years? I donât know. If suicide wasnât so impactful on people around you, I would have taken that leap. I donât enjoy life and never have.â
So . . . Any questions?
****
Steve Albert was Showtime’s blow-by-blow commentator for two decades. But his reach extended far beyond boxing.
Albert’s sojourn through professional sports began in high school when he was a ball boy for the New York Knicks. Over the years, he was behind the microphone for more than a dozen teams in eleven leagues including four NBA franchises.
Putting the length of that trajectory in perspective . . . As a ballboy, Steve handed bottles of water and towels to a Knicks back-up forward named Phil Jackson. Later, they worked together as commentators for the New Jersey Nets. Then Steve provided the soundtrack for some of Jackson’s triumphs when he won eleven NBA championships as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.
It’s also a matter of record that Steve’s oldest brother, Marv, was arguably the greatest play-by-play announcer in NBA history. And brother Al enjoyed a successful career behind the microphone after playing professional hockey.
Now Steve has written a memoir titled A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Broadcast Booth. Those who know him know that Steve doesn’t like to say bad things about people. And he doesn’t here. Nor does he delve into the inner workings of sports media or the sports dream machine. The book is largely a collection of lighthearted personal recollections, although there are times when the gravity of boxing forces reflection.
“Fighters were unlike any other professional athletes I had ever encountered,” Albert writes. “Many were products of incomprehensible backgrounds, fiercely tough neighborhoods, ghettos and, in some cases, jungles. Some got into the sport because they were bullied as children. For others, boxing was a means of survival. In many cases, it was an escape from a way of life that most people couldn’t even fathom.”
At one point, Steve recounts a ringside ritual that he followed when he was behind the microphone for Showtime Boxing: “I would precisely line up my trio of beverages – coffee, water, soda – on the far edge of the table closest to the ring apron. Perhaps the best advice I ever received from Ferdie [broadcast partner Ferdie Pacheco] was early on in my blow-by-blow career – ‘Always cover your coffee at ringside with an index card unless you like your coffee with cream, sugar, and blood.’â
Writing about the prelude to the infamous Holyfield-Tyson “bite fight,” Albert recalls, “I remember thinking that Tyson was going to do something unusual that night. I had this sinking feeling in my gut that he was going to pull something exceedingly out of the ordinary. His grousing about Holyfield’s head butts in the first fight added to my concern. [But] nobody could have foreseen what actually happened. Had I opened that broadcast with, ‘Folks, tonight I predict that Mike Tyson will bite off a chunk of Evander Holyfield’s ear,’ some fellas in white coats might have approached me and said, ‘Uh, Steve, could you come with us.'”
And then there’s my favorite line in the book: “I once asked a fighter if he was happily married,â Albert recounts. âHe said, ‘Yes, but my wife’s not.'”
“All I ever wanted was to be a sportscaster,” Albert says in closing. “I didn’t always get it right, but I tried to do my job with honesty and integrity. For forty-five years, calling games was my life. I think it all worked out.”
 Thomas Hauser’s email address is thomashauserwriter@gmail.com. His next book â The Most Honest Sport: Two More Years Inside Boxing â will be published this month and is available for preorder at:
https://www.amazon.com/Most-Honest-Sport-Inside-Boxing/dp/1955836329
         In 2019, Hauser was selected for boxing’s highest honor – induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
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Featured Articles
Argentinaâs Fernando Martinez Wins His Rematch with Kazuto Ioka

In an excellent fight climaxed by a furious 12th round, Argentinaâs Fernando Daniel Martinez came off the deck to win his rematch with Kazuto Ioka and retain his piece of the world 115-pound title. The match was staged at Iokaâs familiar stomping grounds, the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo.
In their first meeting on July 7 of last year in Tokyo, Martinez was returned the winner on scores of 117-111, 116-112, and a bizarre 120-108. The rematch was slated for late December, but Martinez took ill a few hours before the weigh-in and the bout was postponed.
The 33-year-old Martinez, who came in sporting a 17-0 (9) record, was a 7-2 favorite to win the sequel, but there were plenty of reasons to favor Ioka, 36, aside from his home field advantage. The first Japanese male fighter to win world titles in four weight classes, Ioka was 3-0 in rematches and his long-time trainer Ismael Salas was on a nice roll. Salas was 2-0 last weekend in Times Square, having handled upset-maker Rolly Romero and Reito Tsutsumi who was making his pro debut.
But the fourth time was not a charm for Ioka (31-4-1) who seemingly pulled the fight out of the fire in round 10 when he pitched the Argentine to the canvas with a pair of left hooks, but then wasnât able to capitalize on the momentum swing.
Martinez set a fast pace and had Ioka fighting off his back foot for much of the fight. Beginning in round seven, Martinez looked fatigued, but the Argentine was conserving his energy for the championship rounds. In the end, he won the bout on all three cards: 114-113, 116-112, 117-110.
Up next for Fernando Martinez may be a date with fellow unbeaten Jesse âBamâ Rodriguez, the lineal champion at 115. San Antonioâs Rodriguez is a huge favorite to keep his title when he defends against South Africaâs obscure Phumelela Cafu on July 19 in Frisco, Texas.
As for Ioka, had he won todayâs rematch, that may have gotten him over the hump in so far as making it into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. True, winning titles in four weight classes is no great shakes when the bookends are only 10 pounds apart, but Ioka is still a worthy candidate.
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