Large on Olympic Boxing
posted by Large
A bunch of you have written me asking for some thoughts about the boxing in Beijing and so at long last, I am weighing in. I apologize that I’m weighing in through a piece at another site, but I think you all are aware that I have a monthly nut to meet over at The Sporting Blog, and so forgive me for routing you over there yet again. But I think you’ll get the gist of my general thoughts from my opening couple of grafs below, and then you can check out the full piece over there or just weigh in with your opinions. Very curious to hear what everyone is thinking out there.
I’m pretty passionate about the fight game… and I’m more than familiar with the role the Olympics has played in launching the careers of some of the biggest fighters of all time — Floyd Patterson, Joe Frazier, Evander Holyfield, Oscar De La Hoya, not to mention a certain young loudmouth from Louisville named Cassius Clay.
So it pains me to have to venture forth with this piece. But I have no choice but to call it as I see it, and admit that Olympic boxing is a disaster. Such a disaster, in fact, that they might as well get rid of it. As sport, it’s highly dubious to the point of being near ridiculous…
It May Be Time to Eliminate Olympic Boxing (The Sporting Blog)
August 21st, 2008 at 10:27 pm
if they’re going to go with this ridiculous most punches landed wins system, don’t you think there’s gotta be a better way of doing it? I dunno, maybe chip the fighters gloves or something? They have a thing in cricket coverage now whereby they use a thermal image to see where the ball has hit but this wouldn’t fix the need for real time results, and the fighters might get a bit too warm..
I always liked the idea of a three round fight, being that the guys involved have to be active and there’s no waiting for the other bloke to tire, but you’re right, as a spectacle it’s being killed by the judging.
August 22nd, 2008 at 7:22 am
There is so much that appeals about Olympic boxing. For one, its historic role as the launching pad of legends. But also, at least for the geography nerd in me, the fact that no other sport has the diverse array of competitors and countries represented. Because it don’t matter which tailor-made NBC human interest time-filler urban slum on earth you come from…you don’t need equipment to learn to box. It is the most representative of Olympic sports.
But it is a total farce. And short of going to the ten point must system, I’m not quite sure what they can do. If they are going to continue with the Gameboy scoring, as Large calls it in the SN article, there needs to be a higher emphasis placed on bodywork, jabs, technique….you know, on BOXING.
August 22nd, 2008 at 7:59 am
im just impressed you had 3 articles that day.
August 25th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Thanks for writing on this, Large. I had to stop watching the boxing portion after about four fights. They need to blow this up entirely and start over, or just blow it up. It’s had the feel of a more negligent, sword-less fencing competition, and doesn’t even resemble the sweet science.
I’d support a lifetime ban of nine out of ten judges in the fights that I could stomach to watch.
August 27th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
I’m happy to know I wasn’t the only one. Since no one cares about boxing anymore and the only moments the french network would stop showing us rowing or bmx for some boxing was when french fighters were on. For once, there were three of them in the semis of their weiughtranges so I got yto see some fights. There was some obvious biases at some point (thankfully, none against a french fighter if you don’t coun’t Alexis Vastine getting “robbed”). BUt the judges were bad for everyone.
I don’t want to hear boxing being removed from the Olympics when nonsensical sports like
August 27th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
I’m happy to know I wasn’t the only one. Since no one cares about boxing anymore and the only moments the french network would stop showing us rowing or bmx for some boxing was when french fighters were on. For once, there were three of them in the semis of their weiughtranges so I got yto see some fights. There was some obvious biases at some point (thankfully, none against a french fighter if you don’t coun’t Alexis Vastine getting “robbed”). BUt the judges were bad for everyone.
Boxing being removed from the Olympics would be a disaster, there would be noway of showcasing talented amateurs when nonsensical sports like Baseball and Softball (no offense to Black Betty) are still here, not to mention soccer.
Let’s just try to fix it and make it more appealing.
August 27th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
What is the full history of olympic scoring. They need to just go to 10 point must. The pretense that punch counting makes it less subjective is pathetic. Who would argue against that now? Not the cubans probably
August 27th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
MS- just for your edification, baseball and softball are gone in 2012. And I have a feeling boxing is going to be on the chopping block. The Beijing tournament generated a shitload of bad press around the world. Everyone was disgusted with that thing. Did you see what happened to that Irish kid who fought against Chinese light heavy in the finals? Oh man what a joke the whole thing was.