bennie wrote:Prizefighter, a label that used to depict bare-knuckle protagonists beating themselves into 60-round pulps, has taken an equally dangerous twist. Why dangerous, you may ask? The event used to be a harmless and quite worthy exercise in six-round, down-on-your-luck fighters duking it out for a nice cash prizes, particularly for the winner, normally a Martin Rogan type of winner, the type who valeted cars in the day (in Michael Lomax’s case) or drove them (in Martin’s).
You were pleased for them.
However, the recent involvement of Ross Minter, son of former undisputed world middleweight king Alan, and Ted Bami, a former European champion, in welterweight Prizefighter should have flagged a few warning signs that the event was suddenly looking down its nose at those same six-round, down-on-your-luck fighters. It didn’t, although I personally recall wincing at Bami’s involvement.
Now the flags are out. Suddenly we have the involvement of a host of heavyweight entrants - Audley Harrison, Danny Williams, Michael Sprott, etc - who, frankly, should not be involved. Harrison won Olympic gold and then a million quid, Williams licked Mike Tyson and fought incredibly bravely against Vitali Klitschko for the WBC heavyweight title; he currently holds the magnificent Lonsdale Belt; Sprott also held the British heavyweight title. Does this event gives these men a chance to shine, if only for a night, as Prizefighter should? Of course not. They are already established 12-round fighters, and to see them reduced to three-rounders is desperate stuff and, in my traditionalist opinion, obscene. Worse than that, it reduces boxing to the status of something that is not boxing.
Promoter Barry Hearn openly admits his event is a reaction to UFC and MMA: "It's three-round fights and it's quick action for a younger audience. Twelve-round fights can sometimes be painfully boring and young kids today want a quick adrenaline fix. Prizefighter's not for the purists, but it delivers as an entertainment...it's a great night out."
Hearn continued: "We've got to live with MMA, learn from it and innovate. MMA attracts a younger crowd who want fast, physical action delivered in an entertaining style. Boxing promoters can't bury their heads in the sand."
Well, now the ‘trade’ magazine (ahem) Boxing News is burying its head in the sand. Harry Mullan would have vilified such a new twist, defended his sport and insisted that these men are too big for Prizefighter. Claude Abrams sits on his arse and ponders his next trip to the States.
I agree with a lot of this - and SKY must be laughing their arse off. £80k prize money for a bill they can promote to include DW, AH and Sprotty. They want that each to fight each other under any other circumstances PLUS undercard (minimum). Nobody pulls out of Prizefighter shows, SKY can book adverts knowing when breaks will come and there is a natural crescendo to the action. PLUS, most important, the layman can understand the concept and significance of each fight.
Its EASY TV, to that extent I think its good that boxing is trying to innovate - however, it does demean the sport etc.
But no matter how much we moan as traditionalists - 20-20 is becoming more important thant Test matches, despite the superior technique, history and drama the longer game CAN provide.
But for every Gatti v Ward there is a Harrison v Arias.....
D
