The Wonderful World of Boxing Media

The Wonderful World of Boxing Media

When I first stumbled into this insane unpredictable and unstable world of boxing media in 2015, there were many things that I wouldn’t have expected when those early naive and tentative steps were first taken. I thought it might be some kind of much-needed therapy for me. In truth, I am now probably in need of some heavenly guidance more than ever before. The sport does that to you. Repeatedly.

I wouldn’t have known that the best stories in boxing are the ones that very few people will ever hear about. If you think the sport is a cocktail of the Wild West, the unseen is on another level.

The sport is often a deeply depressing experience, both inside and outside of the ring. Those that reside in it, the brave old warriors that bare their souls and risk everything for our entertainment, are often treated with utter disdain. The rewards are usually for the few.

But despite the seemingly never-ending darkness that often threatens the sport’s very existence, it’s that rare glimpse of light that seems to shine through just enough to keep you invested in something that tests your patience long past the point that you should have walked into the sunset.

The media bubble does open your eyes in many ways about the inner workings of the sport. Interviews that you know are carefully scripted and edited. Outlets selling out for views and access to their favourite promoter. Objectivity, credibility, and integrity are left at the door long before the record button is pressed. They will deny it, but they are blinded by delusion and ignorance. We can see, even if you can’t. But I suspect that you can see perfectly well. Find your own voice and not someone else’s. Find you.

It is in fairness difficult to remain fully objective. The golden rule in boxing media is that you shouldn’t have friends. Hands up, I’m guilty as charged. The more you interview the same fighter, the more you get emotionally invested in their story. Even more so in them as people. I’ve got very close to a handful of fighters. They become friends, but you still need to stay on the right side of the biased line. Write what you see, not what you want to see. A little fact that some are unable to do.

It is admittedly extremely difficult at times, but you have to call it straight down the line. Even certain broadcasters fall into the trap of cheerleading. Trying to control what you think. Trust me, it happens. Too often.

But even if you can remain neutral with your words, the emotions are even more difficult to control. In the space of the last week, I’ve seen fighters that I am close to experiencing the incredible highs and the heartbreaking lows of the sport. A fighter celebrating her breakout victory, and a few days later another dealing with the grief of suffering her first defeat. A week of conflicting emotions. Words spoken and written need to be with the utmost care.

I’ve experienced the awkward, painful chat of the morning after. A fighter trying to deal with the process of losing a fight that she didn’t believe she had lost and another a few months previous finally securing her life-long dream of a world title. A moment in a fight hotel that you wish you could bottle up and live forever. What happens when they then fight each other? I guess I will soon find out. You get sucked into their personal world. You start to care. They are human beings, a fact that many forget. They bleed for us. Some even die for us. Brutal. But true. The one thing that keeps me in this mad old world, is them.

I do think the standards in boxing media have dropped considerably in recent times. For every Craig Scott, Eliot Worsell, Tris Dixon and a few others, there are a plethora of others that churn out endless and wafer-thin content that is akin to a Pot Noodle. Where is the pride? Where is the originality? Where is the hope? Maybe the likes of Scott, Dixon and Worsell are a dying breed after all. What a depressing thought that is.

The new age has brought in an endless stream of content creators. The meaning of proper journalism long forgotten and by some of the money men in the sport frowned upon. Real in-depth scrutiny can go elsewhere. ‘Why are you trying to be a hero,’ when the truth is that the interviewer was just doing his job. Properly. Maybe he is a hero.

Just imagine what real journalists would actually uncover if they did dip their toes into our murky world. The dark side of boxing laid bare for all to see. Make no mistake, there are good guys around, just not enough of them. More in the sport just need to care. And not just about the clicks.