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It has been a while since I've had time to sit down and write a piece like this for good old Doghouseboxing.com. Since I'm such a young man you can imagine how much schoolwork and women interfere with my focus on covering the sport of boxing. But as I was finishing up an article for our school newspaper, it hit me, and I got the bug to get all of the built up feelings I have on boxing off of my chest and onto the old word processor.
So where do I start? Think of all the things I've been missing. Two legends have been KO'd and two more are making returns to the ring. A blown up middleweight has everyone fooled that he is a threat to become heavyweight champ, people still speak of Mike Tyson as if he is a player in boxing, and I'm actually starting to hear people make excuses for Roy Jones' previous performance and how he is still one of the best in boxing. Give me a break!
First let me just say that boxing is in a very dangerous place right now. Our three biggest draws have been knocked out, our big new draw is pushing 40, and the man carrying the torch for the supposed 'flagship' is a robotic Ukrainian who fights like a grizzly bear. Forget Ali, I would settle for a Jerry Quarry about now.
Sure we are getting a little more mainstream exposure with shows like "The Next Great Champ", "The Contender", and FSN's coverage of Toney-Booker fight. But is this all too little too late? Will anyone care that tonight a Puerto Rican living legend will be squaring off with the craziest man in boxing? Does anyone know who Jameel McCline and Chris Byrd are outside of hardcore boxing fans? I am getting frantic, nervous and to be honest with you downright scared about what may happen to the sweet science.
While the fight game's future is harder to read than a Joe Mesi cat scan, there are a few rays of hope that we can pray on. One is that Floyd Mayweather's name continues to gain recognition and he can carry the torch as the next golden boy. He has the personality and is an all around gifted athlete. Two is that one of the old timers like Gatti, Hopkins, or even Holyfeild or Bowe can squeeze out one more marquee fight (with the exception of Gatti that may be all these guys have left – one more). That would at least delay the great depression and give us time to find a savior.
Do I honestly think boxing will die? No probably not, I could just be paranoid. Or I could be onto something. I may be crazy, but am I crazy like a fox? Time will tell but all signs point to a dreary winter and an even darker spring and beyond for our beloved sport. Let's just hope it isn't permanent.
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© Copyright / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing 1998-2004
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By Aaron Imholte (October 2, 2004) 
