2008 In Review The Big Story Promoters must be Distanced from Friday
There was a time in history where promoters were separate from fighters. A promoter would get fighters together have a fight card and pay the fighters. That time had the promoter free of a vested interest in how a boxer did. That time for the most part is history. There are independent boxers out there with great skill stable fighters avoid them. Great matches between these independents quite simply very rarely happen. When an independent fighter fights a stable fighter on the card promoted by that stable more often then not things happen which enhance boxing's bad reputation. 2008 has at least two instances of where promoter affiliations with boxers have left a scar on boxing.
The first incident happened at municipal auditorium in San Antonio Texas. The decisions made in Oscar Diaz's corner and preceding the fight were dubious. The decisions had severe consequences for Oscar Diaz. Ultimately team Duva is responsible for what happened to Oscar. They wanted him to win the title and were hoping against hope. Oscar's fate was sealed by elements completely out of his control in May. His corner was acting in the best interest of Team Duva not his own.
The second incident happened when Julio Valadez fought a Top Rank boxer in New Jersey what may have been a low blow considered a legit KO blow in New Jersey as Julio's up was pushed up as the shot was below the belt and going up. This also brings up an interesting relationship between web writers and promoters. Fight news recieves add income from Top Rank. The coverage was not without its bias. Sue Fox of www.womenboxing.com does web work for Lenny Fresquez. The results in Sue Fox's case are mild she has a fair amount of integrity but elsewhere on fight news you can see that the promoter gets what they want from those who cover the fight.
The thing is I would like to rant about about Greg Alvarerez who suspended a fighter nurologically indefinetly without a shred of medical evidence even the doctor ringside said the fighter involved had a 30 day suspension. (Greg has twice said he would alter the status if the boxer reapplies but denys the fighter this writing. Greg Alvarez has the integerity and intellect of your average beat cop in Mexico. He is el jeffe personified. Dick Cole aka phallis rex is at times mercurial arbitrary commissioner. The simple fact is if they grew both a moral compass ability to steer towards that compass and a brain of any real power they could not stop this trend. The big fights would go to New Jersey and Nevada and if anything the situation would be worse. The call for seperation has to go to both New Jersey and Nevada. The call for seperation needs also to go to Germany, and Europe as well...
Boxing has suffered greatly as promoters have been allowed to have their own stable of fighters. This tight linkage between promoter and boxer has almost killed and permanetly injured a local boxer this year. Boxing continues to suffer from a whole host of bad decisions because commissions will not over rule a promoter. It is too big for Texas.