Ben Pierce
07.10 - Most times when we think of reform in boxing we think of controversial decisions by judges and the ranking of boxers or even some of the promoters involved in our sport. These are all legitimate concerns and things that need to be addressed to bring credibility back to boxing. But we also must look at a side of boxing that no one likes to talk about, the injuries and deaths that occur inside the ring.
Greg Page, the former WBA Heavyweight champion is a perfect example of the need for this type of reform. His wife, Patricia Love-Page tells us that when Greg was injured he was fighting in a bout sanctioned by the state of Kentucky and yet when he suffered his injury; the ringside doctor present was not licensed to practice in the state of Kentucky and was in fact a doctor on probation from Ohio. There was no oxygen or stretcher present or near the ring and that although the promoter claimed to have the required health insurance, none has been produced to this day.
These things should not be allowed to happen in any boxing match, in any state. We need a national commission to regulate the many state commissions and bring uniformity, enforcement and accountability to those involved in the sport of boxing.
The federal laws already in place when Page was injured may be in large part the basis for any legal remedy that Greg Page may receive for his injuries and suffering. Without these laws the promoter would not be required to provide health insurance for the bout and there would be no accountability for the state commission.
The bill currently pending in Congress would bring further enforcement to the current laws in place and hopefully help to avoid repeating the same mistakes that happened to Greg Page after his ill fated bout, as well as bring additional reforms to the forefront.
It is time for everyone who cares about boxing and about boxers to stand up and speak about these needed reforms. I am sorry, but having only one champion, in each division...and I do not give a damn who names that champion, does not help Greg Page and others like him or others that may suffer the same fate any time they step into the ring! The issue is so much bigger than champions and rankings and I fail to understand why others do not speak up with the same fervor that they do about ranking boxers and deciding the real champions of boxing.
It is past time we get our priorities straight and look at the real issues involved in our sport. No one wants to talk about real reform, even fewer want to face the hard realities that many boxers like Greg Page are facing every day. Greg is a real life example of the need for reform.
Would you like to help Greg Page...
To aid Greg Page in his recovery and the ongoing treatment of his traumatic brain injury, The Friends of Greg Page of Louisville, Kentucky are planning a benefit auction on Saturday, November 9, 2002, from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. here in Louisville, at Churchill Downs, the hometown of Greg and another world champion, Muhammad Ali.
We would be honored to receive a special item from you for the auction or, if you prefer, a financial contribution toward the costs of the benefit or to assist in Greg's recovery.
Please send your auction item to 208 West Kenwood Way, Louisville, KY 40214 no later than October 15, 2002. Your tax-deductible financial donation should be made out to The Friends of Greg Page at the same address.
Questions/Comments: benp1000@msn.com
Real Reform: The deadly silence...
By Ben Pierce
01.10 - We currently have a bill in congress that could bring some real reform to boxing. This bill, although not perfect, is another step in the right direction for the sport of boxing. Yet I see little if any coverage by the boxing news media about this important piece of legislation. When I ask myself why, the reasons become obvious.
This legislation just further takes influence away from those in power in our sport. Many who scream about the corruption in boxing are silent on this issue because they do not want to lose the status quo. Those with influence, do not want to lose it, even at the expense of the sport in which they are involved. They do not want to jeopardize the influence or relationships that they have with promoters, with sanctioning bodies and with the establishment in boxing.
Max Kellerman will yell until our ears hurt about the Ring Magazine, but when have you heard him mention this important piece of legislation? You can read certain websites that will also say we need reform in boxing and yet they never mention the avenues of real reform. They have their own agenda and it certainly is not reform in boxing. It is about them making money and helping their friends to do the same. Are these not the same type of sweetheart deals that have crippled and corrupted our sport for years now?
I have written before about the agenda of a few to push the Ring magazine belts as an avenue to help bring reform to boxing. The only thing Ring belts bring to boxing is another set of rankings and another champion. The belts are not awarded in the ring, not worn by the boxers and not even acknowledged before fights. How can they have any credibility? There is even beginning to be vocal opposition from boxers to these belts, for the exact reasons I have stated here before, they try to take away and discount other titles earned by boxers inside the ring.
Ring magazine belts are nothing more than a ploy by a dying magazine to try to save themselves in this era of instant news availability. They will never be recognized as the only champions in boxing, despite the concerted effort of a few. They are just a facade and they bring no reform. Ring magazine has been published since the 1920's, if they wanted to or if they could bring any reform to the sport of boxing, why have they failed to do so for over eighty years. They are not a solution, just another part of the problem. I think a look at their past ranking of boxers and awarding belts only proves this point.
But lets look at the legislation that has already passed congress, the strides towards reform it has brought to boxing and what the current legislation might bring. First we had the Professional Boxers Safety Act of 1996. This created an identification card system for boxers and mandated states honor the medical suspensions and other penalties levied by other state commissions. It also mandated health insurance for boxers.
The Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act reached even further towards reform. This bill limited the control of promoters and sanctioning bodies in our sport and brought them to a new level of accountability. It included the broadcast media, since in many cases they function as promoters and have boxers under contract. It also required the sanctioning bodies to have objective and consistent system of ranking boxers and make that system public. All steps need within boxing.
The legislation in congress now would only further those reforms already in place and give them additional enforcement leverage by having a czar or committee to oversee the process. To bring accountability to the forefront and to bring additional reforms.
Now when we see this legislation that provides health benefits to boxers, that limits the influence of promoters and sanctioning bodies, that provides some reform in rankings and generally has no purpose but the betterment of the sport and the welfare of boxers. I have to ask how can anyone and everyone involved in boxing not be in favor of this? Why isn't every boxing website, magazine and media sportscaster pushing for this reform? Why are they not screaming for this with the same passion a few are screaming about for a simple magazine's rankings? No this legislation is not perfect and has had enforcement problems in the past, but it is real reform for boxing. It benefits boxers and returns credibility to boxing.
So why are the overwhelming majority of the boxing news organizations are not involved in this effort to push for real reform? Because reform hurts them. It hurts their advertising revenue, they do not want to offend those promoters that place advertisements with them. They do not want to lose their established relationships with those inside boxing that provides them the substance of their news. They don't want to hurt their friends, those that have helped them in the past and continue to do so today.
I say it is time to look past friends and relationships of the past and to stand up for what is right. The reasons that many give or better yet do not give, for their lack of passion and failure to speak up on this issue, are very telling. Most are not even critical of the boxing legislation, they just say nothing. If there are have concerns about the reform this legislation brings, dialogue is appropriate and can only help the process. But it is time for those who care about this issue to speak up. Because it is your deadly silence that is killing the sport of boxing.
Questions/Comments: benp1000@msn.com
