I have a bad taste in my mouth after Adonis Stevenson's TKO over Noe Gonzalez. Not because it was the worst stoppage I have seen. Far from it. But because the quick trigger is so commonplace now, that I have grown to expect it. Like a bad decision, this is the first time in 27 years of following boxing, that I now expect a lousy stoppage, more than I do not. The element of surprise is completely gone.
It has ruined what is supposed to be the most fun part of watching a fight. Instead of enjoying the hurt fighter trying to recover, while the fighter with an advantage tries to finish him, I am just looking at the ref, saying "don't you dare stop this fight". And more often than not, they do. In so doing, referees are shifting the spotlight to themselves, and robbing fighters of a come-from-behind win. It continues to get worse, and shows no sign of calming down.
Like bad decisions, they will not stop until heads roll for the referees who commit this infraction. If a committee decides that you pulled the trigger too soon, you get a warning. Do it again, you are suspended for a year. Do it again during your probationary period, you get de-frocked. Period. And that will not happen, until there is an unbiased, appointed national commission.
There is not one intelligent, lucid argument against such a body existing. The only opposition would naturally come from promoters who do no want their sphere of influence circumvented. They are tantrumming 3-year odls. They don't care what's right or wrong. They simply wish to have it all. Mine! Mine! Mine! It is the argument of political parties today, as well. How much control should a governing body have over private economy? However, in boxing, we have both. We have private business posing as a governing body.
Jose Suliaman, Bob Lee, and Gilberto Mendoza are not elected officials. They are not responsible to boxng fans as if they are voters. The only way of diminishing their control is to make their belts obsolete. However, promoters like belts, because they create interest, and make their fighters look more accomplished than they actually are. It's a good marriage for their business interest, and much corruption has taken place on both sides to ensure it's continuance.
Ring Magazine was starting to make steps in the direction of eliminating belt control, but now they are puppets of a corrupt promotional outlet, so the belt era is slowly starting back up. I hope that these lousy decision, which are nothing more than a test on the part of the evil to see what they can get away with, backfire tremedously. I hope fans and fighters alike ignore the "official" record and go with what really happened. Only then will true justice seem like a more sound business decision, and the promoters can get out of their own way. After all, they want more fans to buy tickets, so it begs the question: Why are they ruining their own sport?
Chris Strait
www.convictedartist.com
