The Sport Without Governance – The Thrills of Boxing’s Wild West

Professional boxing isn’t governed; it’s fought over. Without an effective governing body, promoters and sanctioning bodies are in a desperate scrap not to let a single dollar get away. Promoters are free to carefully guard the unbeaten records of their most marketable prospects, while talented fighters with small fan bases are left to plead for attention. The endless profusion of belts means genuine world champions are hard to find. Too many bad fights get sold as good fights, while a lot of great fights remain pipe dreams. And yet there are benefits to this lack of order. In most sports, the fixture lists are beyond the control of the participants. Roger Federer can’t just choose not to play Novak Djokovic; the Broncos can’t just ignore the Panthers. How fighters exercise their freedom to choose fights is a test of character. Carl Froch won the respect of many for his brave (some would say downright reckless) willingness to fight the best. Floyd Mayweather earned the derision of some and the grudging admiration of others for his strategic selection, following the money and fighting the best but on his own terms. Those who duck and run while still claiming to be the best are mocked. In boxing, courage and cowardice are revealed long before anyone gets to the ring.