Boxing: The Real drug. ‘A boxer knows when the time is right’

By Kevin Fleck: The conversations, arguments and articles about Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED’s) appear more common than the jab, as far as boxing is concerned right now. Everyone has an opinion on it, largely because the testing for use of such substances may have prevented one of the most anticipated fights in recent boxing history from ever occurring.

It may not be a bad thing at all, that such articles are being produced and it seems that for once we are concerning ourselves as fans of the sweet science, with the sportsmanship within boxing. That we all desire to watch the greats do battle, but that we do so, hoping that everything beyond the control of the two fighters is consistent and fair; whether it be the interventions of the referee, the scoring by the judges or indeed, the hopefully non-usage of prohibited drugs (determined by the Boxing Commissions and so forth).

However, as much as anybody could write pages upon pages about the use of prohibited drugs within boxing, I think I’ve heard enough to conclude that yes, there surely is a requirement for more stringent testing, but no, Floyd Mayweather does not control boxing and does not have the authority to overhaul the current requirements set out by the numerous Boxing Commissions.
I’m a fan of boxing, and I don’t concern myself with the petty arguments which are everywhere you look around boxing blogs, thinking that everyone need fall on one side, your either in the Mayweather club or the Pacquiao club! Rather, hoping, that such pointless arguments are just demonstrations of the passion which remains for boxing, all this despite a heavyweight division which could do with an overhaul of its own.

But what did occur to me was how, having watched numerous documentaries and read several articles that Boxing itself could be deemed the most addictive and dangerous drug of all in the sport.
I’m talking about the difficulty for a boxer to walk away from our beloved sport, when is it right for a boxer to retire, is usually answered by the old boxers, ‘the boxer is the only one, who knows when it is right for him to fight on or to hang up the gloves, you just get a feeling’. I’ve become increasingly sceptical about this view having seen all too many boxers fight on, when they clearly should have retired, often ignoring advice from trainers, doctors etc.

You can mention many great fighters in these scenario, often the greats who have reached the pinnacles and felt the ecstasy’s of boxing, and been unwilling to let it go. Look at ’The Greatest’, Muhammad Ali, took so many unnecessary shots in fights which needn‘t have ever happened, could have and with hindsight most agree should have hung up the gloves after or within a not too distant period after defeating George Foreman, in Zaire. Instead he went on, fighting in the brutal yet inspiring and one of the greatest fights of all time in the ‘Thrilla in Manila’ against Joe Frazier. But also took a beating at the hands of Larry Holmes, famously remembered for Ali cowering in the corner as he took a horrendous beating. You have to question whether anybody could think any less of Ali as a boxer if these events hadn’t occurred, but at the same time they sort of made Ali who he is. The greatest question is possibly, did Ali carry on because he felt he was the best, or because like many others before and since, he had become addicted and therefore unwilling to let go of the notion that he would always remain at the pinnacle. As we all know what ever the ‘champs’ answer would be, he pays a heavy price in the form of Parkinson’s Disease (linked to the number of head traumas suffered throughout his career).

He isn’t the only one, another famous example, although not particularly for his fighting career is a certain Freddie Roach, currently one of the most revered and sought after trainers in boxing., who also suffers with Parkinson’s. Having admitted that his trainer recommended he retire, yet went on to fight and suffer too many blows to the head.
These are the more extreme examples I grant you, but we look firstly into before Ali’s time at the Brown Bomber, Joe Louis. Clearly he fought on too long, having tried to retire, he was fighting more under duress than it appears Ali or Roach were; having owed the IRS a whole load of money. Most memorably are the pictures of him being knocked out of the ring by the younger, Rocky Marciano. Having recently watched the documentary ’Joe Louis: America’s hero…betrayed’, I found it somewhat disturbing to see someone who had clearly given his all both in boxing and as a compassionate, patriotic human being reduced to rubble by the constant hounding of the ‘money grabbing’ IRS, giving him little choice but to do the only thing had ever really known, to fight on.

Switching to modern times, the retirement question was put to one of England’s greatest fighters in the form of Ricky Hatton. Millions watched as he firstly lost to Mayweather and then Pacquaio in pretty brutal fashions. I’ve always felt that after the Mayweather defeat, boxing on would be very difficult for Hatton having lost his unbeaten record and his air of invincibility. In one of his preceding fights against Juan Lazcano, the Hitman was visibly rocked by a number of blows despite getting the points victory. Against Pacquiao we seen one of the most devastating left hooks ever witnessned to knock Hatton out. He should feel no shame in his two defeats (both were Number 1# in the Pound for Pound rankings when they faced Hatton), yet Hatton announced, having taken a long break and ballooned in weight, that he would fight again in the summer of 2010. Like many I fail to see what he can achieve from this and it appears more to go out on a winning note than for cash or achieving pound for pound status. But the risks seem to completely outweigh that hope of a final hurrah. Say he loses his comeback bout, what then, another one then another and so on until he’s walking round suffering from Parkinson’s or worst still, it causes a premature death.

Having said all of this and made boxing out to be some horrific brutalising sport that leads to Parkinson’s disease etc, maybe the boxer does know right? In some instances, look at Barnard Hopkins, the man is 45 years old or there abouts and he seems to be impenetrable at times and schooled the young upstart that was Kelly Pavlik over 12 rounds. Even then though I heard the quite recently retired, undefeated Joe Calzaghe, who suggested Hopkins should retire before he gets hurt. To an extent I can see where he’s coming from, because Hopkins has nothing left to achieve (although I’ve heard he’s after the heavyweight championship) in boxing, having dominated the middleweight division and been number 1# in the pound for pound rankings. His next opponent Roy Jones Jr, is another prime example of a boxer not knowing, or is it ‘unwillingness’ to leave boxing.

Mike Tyson, one of the most recognisable heavyweight champions ever, cried as he recalled winning all the state belts on his documentary ‘Tyson’. He fought on too pay off his bills and lost to a journeyman in Kevin McBride in his final fight.. After the fight he said he didn’t have ’the fighting guts or the heart anymore’. This coming from the one time nicknamed ‘baddest man on the planet’. Its hard not to feel a sadness, watching men give there life’s to something that will almost inevitably destroy them, but its what makes boxing unique and special to all its fans.

It’s possibly why some of the great fighters have a few extra losses on there record, that have no business being there, but it’s the possibility of losing and the ecstasy of winning which drives most boxers to commit suicide in boxing terms, too jump up to many weight divisions, to have just one more fight as they seek to attain the glory that awaits.
We love boxing, but so do the boxers, there is no doubts about that. Its why when the trainer throws in the towel or the referee calls a fight, that a boxer will sometimes go crazy, chuck chairs at the referee (Zab Judah) or sack their trainers for having to make that tough decision, because the boxer is the only one who knows, or so they think. Retiring in a fight, is similar to calling a close to a career, and its why most boxers never say that’s enough till they’ve been knocked out or have no choice in other words.

Floyd Mayweather recently returned from ‘retirement’ or was it just a break? He said he loves boxing, and he spars everyday having said after the Hatton fight, he didn’t love boxing no more. One wonders if he will walk the same path as those before who have retired only to find that craving for there fix nagging them back into that ring – ‘just one more fight, one more’.

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