The Viper is left Venom less, but the Fan's Snakebite Still Strikes

Mike Samuels

01.02 - It's been rumored for hundreds of years that boxing is one of the most corrupt sports in the world. It's had its share of money problems, some Mafia ties, promotional scandals, and some go as far as to mention "phantom-punch" fights such as Ali-Liston II or Tyson-Seldon.

So, yeah, maybe boxing is as crazy and confused - and dirty - as people in the journalism field have made it out to be. Maybe fights have been rigged from time to time, and just maybe the sport isn't as fair as it should be.

Then again, life isn't even fair, so how can one expect anything it to be?

Don't drown your hopes in the scandals and ruthlessness of this beautiful "sweet science" too soon, because if one thing is fair in boxing, it's the fans that keep this game alive. The fan's are not only drawn to the sport, but help fighters with all the negativity they drop from their jaws. They help keep the fire burning, the passion glowing, and the willingness to prove one's self-alive.

Boxing fans. There's nothing like em'.

In other sports some fans can be labeled what the world calls "Fair-weather fans." You know, Johnny likes team 'A' for the three straight years they are on top of the world, then suddenly becomes a huge fan of team "B'' when they start winning and team 'A' starts to rebuild.

Boxing fans are something like that, only instead of being fair-weather the people who enjoy watching these brutes slug it out for ten to twelve rounds every six months conduct themselves more along the lines of snakes. The vast majority of boxing fans sit back against the horizon while a fighter is thought of to be 'pound-for-pound' the best in the world, or invincible at the time. Like a snake, the majority of boxing fans are quiet through a fighter's glory days, praising him at times but all the time waiting for him to be destroyed.

Then it happens - 'pound-for-pound' King Joe Boxer gets knocked out in unexpected fashion and the 'snakes' come to the feeding. Boy, are they killers. The minute all mighty Joe hits the deck the loud hissing of these 'fans' pierces his jugular and he's no longer a 'pound-for-pound' king' but rather overrated with a glass chin. This isn't a theory, oh no! It's a proven fact. It happens to the best of them, and some of these snakes are the most unforgiving animals in the business.

The most recent example occurred last weekend when Vernon "The Viper" Forrest, who was coming off two wins over Shane Mosley in 2002, was defeated by an opening 10-1 underdog, Ricardo Mayorga. It's not the fact that Forrest was beat, but the fashion in which his beating was taken. The Viper was clearly knocked off balance with a wild hook and then finished with a right hand that didn't even hit him square in the chin. Mayorga, who was coming off another unexpected knockout over Andrew "Six Heads" Lewis, has now been captivated to the 'pound-for-pound' man at 147lbs.

Vernon Forrest, you ask? The questions continue to pile on him as if he still hasn't gotten up from that right hand.

The snakes have found live bait in the Viper. Were his two sensational wins over Mosley really legit? The hissing from the ropes would tell you that Forrest got lucky against Sugar Shane because "styles makes fights" and he'd beat Mosley 100/100 times, without question. What about his chin? The 'snakes' will tell you that Forrest had never been hit cleanly until he met Mayorga and he probably still doesn't have any sense in his brain from that right hand to tell you that he's not the champion anymore. Then there comes the interesting theory that a fighter is overrated. Ask the 'snakes,' "Who has Forrest beaten that's really anyone besides Mosley?" A question that is asked too many times in this sport, but someone has to do it, right?

This venom from the fans doesn't discriminate or hate on anyone. It's fair game. Life may not be, fair, but the way these almost poisonous like attacks generate is as close to fair as boxing will ever see. If you're Vernon Forrest don't feel bad. You're just another victim to the snakebite. Other victims include: Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis, David Tua, Chris Byrd, and of course Shane Mosley.

Check back for Part II next week, when the effects of the "snakebite" are weighed in on the careers of its victims.

Mike Samuels can be reached for questions or comments at Tyson180@aol.com