Enlightened-One wrote: ↑13 Feb 2018, 12:00
candyslim wrote: ↑13 Feb 2018, 10:48 I will continue to say what I think based on my belief that the fighters are a lot more than wooden chess-pieces and if that cements your view of me as naive and gullible, I guess I'll just have to live with that.
You consider boxing to be a genuine sport, where you believe that the combatants have complete control over their own destinies, whereby decisions are driven solely by the accomplishment of sporting goals.
In an ideal world, that’s how boxing should really be, but unfortunately it isn’t.
cs: Of course I'm well aware of the political machinations that pervade the 'sport' in fact it's quite ironic because whenever I've speculated as to how a particular bit of power-broker manipulation might have played out, it's frequently your good self who pulls me up on it: "You have no proof, it's unfair to say that when it's not proven". Proof is never going to be available because those who run boxing might well be pudenda but they aren't stupid, they don't leave a smoking gun lying around.
It’s merely a vehicle for the fighters, managers, promoters, venues, TV networks and their advertisers to generate revenue. The goal is to optimise the amount of money that can be made by staging such events.
cs: I'm not blind to that EO but if we just accept that the boxers themselves are remotely controlled drones with no input over their careers, we might as well pack up and go home. What is there to discuss on the forum?
cs: I know you don't rate Ortiz despite his hugely impressive amateur career, and do not even credit him for having an inside game
but surely you would agree that even at his age, he is regarded by most as being the most formidable opponent Wilder (or his puppeteer if you prefer), could have selected to fight? Most would say Ortiz, while not the favourite, has an excellent chance of winning, no?
cs: So how does this fit your assertion that Haymon/Hearn won't allow anything to derail the Wilder v Joshua money train? Why is Haymon suddenly willing to risk his protege against a genuine contender when he has been so very careful with his matchmaking all along?
cs: Little ol' gullible me (enticed by the spawn-of-Satan, er I mean x2x
) was reluctantly considering how a man banned by the WBC and WBA might be very vulnerable to agreeing all-manner of pre-conditions in order to be allowed to earn title-shot money one last time, and this would certainly tick your boxes about how the big players control boxing, and about ensuring that money-train arrives at its destination wouldn't it?
I won’t use derogatory terms like “naïve” or “gullible” to describe your approach to boxing, because that’s how I’d personally like the sport to be.
cs: Don't sweat it EO I've been called a lot worse.
Unfortunately though, if you follow the political background shenanigans as closely as I do, you quickly realise that coincidences rarely happen and that the agendas of the key figures in boxing are very easy to identify.
cs: I don't follow it as closely as you I have many interests and many demands on my time, as I'm sure you do, but I know there is a lot of scurrilous activity behind the scenes in boxing and I'm aware of the identities of the usual miscreants.
Eddie Hearn and Al Haymon are in complete control over the careers of Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder. Nothing will happen without their approval. The PBC and Matchroom chiefs will work together to ensure that the Joshua-Wilder title unification money-train won’t be derailed.
cs: I alluded above to one way, in fact probably the only way, to make absolutely certain that money-train cannot suffer a derailment. What I'm suggesting is of course coercion, match-fixing, corruption but you would be the first with an exclamation of outrage "You cannot say that - you have no proof".
cs: So instead I go along with the pretence that it's all above board and it's a sport as well as a business and you politely tell me I'm talking absolute fvcking bollocks.
With respect EO, you can't have it both ways
