By Edgar Solorzano: Boxing has had it’s up and downs during these past years, fight-fans are always asking, what’s next for Boxing? No one realistically knows what’s next for the sweet science. Although promoters are always making predictions that almost sound like promises; they say this fight will happen, this fighter is going to be great, they try to make their predictions reality to satisfy the fans. But usually they end up with a problem and move on to something else.
When you hear big promotion companies like: Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions talk about changing the sport of Boxing. They bring up great ideas, such as: good match-ups, good locations and signing new fighters. Some ideas may get out of line. Ideas like when De La Hoya said he wanted Golden Boy Promotions to be the ruler of Boxing. Like what Dana White is doing in UFC. Whether these promotion companies have good ideas or even bad ideas that may offend some fans. I give them 50% of my respect for putting some effort on trying to change the sport. However, I believe they’re not changing the sport. But trying to make it better. It almost seems like they are trying extremely hard on making the sport better, that they’re too blinded to come up with simpler ideas. Since a simple idea can grow as time goes by.
One observation I’ve noticed that bothers Boxing fans a lot, is a fight ending up in a draw, when it could’ve been a split-decision victory. Fight-fans tend to get disappointed and lose faith when draws occur in the sport. No one looks at these problems and try to solve them. They know that draws only disappoint fans and can hurt the sport of Boxing as bad as 5-10%.
It’s almost surreal that no one looks or thinks about these problems. I came up with a new rule that I believe could help change the sport in a positive way. This rule is called The Golden Round. The Golden Round states: If the fight ends up being a draw, both fighters (teams) competing have the right to agree with each other to go for an extra round. The round will not be 3 minutes, but a 2 minute round. That way both fighters get another chance to convince the judges that one of them is the true champion. These rule will basically be the over-time of Boxing. Most popular sports have an over-time rule.
Basketball,football,tennis, and even soccer has a similar over-time rule in important events like a World Cup championship game. They have the golden goal or go to penalties. Can you just imagine if they had draws in the NFL or NBA finals? Would they still be as popular? would fans like it? this is what Boxing might be missing, Minor elements that could make a difference in the sport.
You are probably asking yourself why should boxers go for another extra round, when they’re already taking too much punishment? Well if you read the rule, both fighters have to agree, and draws don’t happen very often. They’re not always going to fight 13 rounds. The Golden Round will not just help the sport, but it will pressure fighters to try even harder in the 12th round. So they don’t have to go for that extra round. It will pressure fighters in a good positive way.
There’s two reasons why The Golden Round is only 2 minutes long.
1) For fighters safety
2) I believe the less time someone has to do something, the harder they’ll try. Example: If someone gives you 10 minutes to run a mile, you will probably take your time and try to finish it. However if they gave you 6 minutes to finish a mile, you will most likely try harder and run a little faster. Giving the people watching some action or making it exciting to watch. If fighters get 2 minutes to prove something; they will most likely try to fight like it was their last fight and will rely on that round, since it could change history and their future.
Have you ever seen a fight that ended up in a draw? If so, were you pleased with the decision? How many of you think Marquez beat Pacquiao on that draw? How many of you said, dang! If they would’ve gone another round, the fight would’ve been a different story? When I was watching the Mosley vs. Mora fight fans were unhappy with the decision, judges calling the fight a draw. I heard fans say all kinds of things, such as: I’ll never watch Mora fight again, Mosley’s done, Mosley should’ve won, I want my money back and many other things. If there were an extra round, maybe the fight could’ve been different or perhaps something interesting could’ve happened. Just like in the Walcott vs. Marciano event in 1952. When Marciano scored that explosive exciting Knockout against Walcott in the 13th round. When I think of that fight, it always makes me wonder, are we avoiding history being made by ending a fight in a draw?
Although I continue to believe that draws only hurt the sport, and we shouldn’t have them in Boxing at all. It only disappoints the fans and decreases the popularity of the sport. I’m not saying that Boxing is not popular, but it wouldn’t hurt if we made that sport that we appreciate and grew up watching better. People always seem to compare Boxing with UFC, this rule is what will separate Boxing from UFC, and make Boxing a little more organize than it already is.
If this rule existed would it change the sport or ruined the sport?
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