By Scott Fitzgerald: Over the last few years it’s become more and more evident that Boxing has lost quite a few fans to MMA due to Boxing’s top promoter’s inability to make the fights the public have been clamouring to see.But what has become more and more prevalent is that Bob Arum who arguably has one of the best stables of fighters under his banner in Top Rank has consistently denied the public a mega fight.
Why? I hear people asking is anyone’s guess but if an educated person with any degree of boxing knowledge reads into why Bob Arum protects his fighters it’s down to all of three reasons.
1- The almighty dollar.
2- The fighter in questions record or in most cases his “O”.
3- Bob Arum and his unquestionable ego.
What annoys me and in my opinion the public too is that Boxing is traditionally a gentleman’s sport where the best fight the best in the interest of the fans and aim to build there boxing legacy, But what sickens me is that Bob Arum seems to be at the forefront of denying the fans what they want to see. Fighters should not be protected once they become a World Champion they should be protected on route to achieving the biggest prize in their sport it’s a pugilistic art for a reason and that reason is because styles make fights if you truly are the best you take on all comers.
Bob Arum has denied the public the biggest fight in 20years in a bout between Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr and now it seems it’s not only this mega fight being denied its other fighters in his stable that are being denied there biggest paydays to date. How can the son of the great Julio Cesar Chavez be protected by Bob Arum? Cesar Chavez took on all comers and produced some of the greatest fights in history his bouts with Oscar De La Hoya provided a benchmark for what a modern day super fight was about. As a father he would be proud of his son but as a fighter he must be disgusted that his son has not had the career defining fight with Sergio Martinez the public are disgusted and the only man happy to avoid and not see it go ahead is Bob Arum. It’s not just Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in the Top Rank stable of fighters that are being denied a legacy defining fight and anyone with a link to Top Ranks Wikipedia Page will know what fighters are being held back. But it’s a shame that a great art form and sport is being tarnished by bad promotion and their inability to take a risk in making the bouts the fighters want and what the public clamour for.
I know Bob Arum and Top Rank cannot be blamed for this situation totally as all promoters are playing there part along with the Boxing Organisations that sanction fights, But Bob Arum in summary for me is leading the way in diminishing boxing’s credibility by not making the fights for protection of the “O” and until this mind set changes, It is we the public that is missing out.
Comments are closed.