When Joseph Parker vs Fabio Wardley was first announced to take place at London’s O2 Arena a couple of months ago, I figured that this could turn out to be a pretty good fight. The larger and more experienced Parker was an aggressive boxer-puncher known for his ability to hook fluidly off an excellent jab and then follow up with extended combinations. Wardley was an undefeated, up and coming slugger known for his durability and resolve-and for having immense, screw you power in his right hand. Those types of styles and attributes often gel pretty well, and generally produce enjoyable contests for as long as they last.
So, my expectations for the fight itself were reasonably high when the bell rang to begin the opening round.
By the time the contest had reached its conclusion, those expectations were exceeded in every possible way.
Even in the fight’s quieter moments, Wardley vs Parker was a tight, tense, well contested boxing match that held the promise of extreme violence during each and every second. On those many occasions when that promise was fulfilled, the fight was exhilarating. Wardley served early notice that he wasn’t easily dismissed when he cornered Parker in the second and pelted him with a series of uppercuts and right hands. Not to be outdone, Parker responded by regaining control a couple of rounds later, firing salvos of hooks that had Wardley looking disorganized in the sixth and wobbly by the end of the ninth. Generally, the Kiwi appeared to be more dynamic on offense, but Wardley kept his composure, kept retaliating when things started getting out of hand, and kept finding openings for his much improved jab and right hand. Parker was ahead on the official cards going into the penultimate round, but Wardley was still within striking distance on two of them (and mine). Going into the tenth, the outcome still hung in the balance.
That’s when things got crazy.
Halfway through the round, Parker unloaded a monstrous right hand that stood Wardley up, and a few moments later launched a series of right hands that had Fabio looking completely and utterly at sea. All seemed lost for Fabio at that point; incredibly, he quickly stepped back, gathered himself, motioned Parker in, and then drove a right hand into Parker’s face that backed him off. A lovely uppercut followed and caused Joe to do an involuntary two-step; then Wardley unloaded an assault that drove his foe into the ropes and had him in desperate trouble as the bell rang.
Very few rounds will compel me to literally stand and pace as I watch it unfold. This was one of those occasions.
In the following round, Wardley pursued his advantage and was eventually able to club Parker with an enormous right hand that had the latter in full retreat. Another assault followed, causing Parker to reel around the ring before eventually seeking refuge near the ropes. Wardley continued to press the issue, launching bomb after bomb in the direction of his wounded rival. Some of them landed; many of them didn’t. Still, it was sufficient to convince referee Howard Foster to call a halt to proceedings and award the contest to the Englishman.
As soon as the stoppage occurred, it was being excoriated online. Wardley definitely seemed exhausted, and his punches weren’t as effective in those final few seconds as they had been earlier in the round. Parker was wounded, but still trying to fight back when he could. Given what happened in the preceding frame, it seemed only fair to give Joe every opportunity to turn things back in his favor. I get the criticism, and I can understand why so many observers were upset at that moment. That said, Parker’s body language throughout the course of the eleventh indicated that he was starting to wilt under pressure and under Wardley’s attack. He was cut, he was hurt, and he gave the impression that he was going to be badly affected by the next clean shot that he absorbed. With over a minute remaining in the round, I can understand why Foster made the call, even if I don’t entirely agree with it.
Either way, Wardley-Parker provided us with an exceptionally entertaining contest that featured multiple shifts of momentum, a surefire Round of the Year contender, and an ending that will be discussed at considerable length for days and weeks to come. As stated before, it was a boxing match that completely exceeded my expectations.
So…Why am I not as thrilled about this as I should be?
I think the answer to that question lies in the fact that fourty or thirty years ago, this fight would have been available for all to watch on ABC’s Wide World of Sports, with the recently deceased Alex Wallau on commentary. More people would have had the opportunity to watch it and discuss it around the water cooler, or at their local watering hole. Twenty years ago, we would have been able to watch this on HBO’s Boxing After Dark, or Shobox, and still could have been able to generate discussion in person, as well as online. Even within the past decade, a fight like this would have been available to view on DAZN’s regular programming.
Now, a fight like this is being shown on Pay Per View, with a $ 59.99 US price tag.
I can’t help but view this as a bad thing.
Putting a fight like this behind a paywall limits availability of these fights to the viewing public, alienates the current fanbase, and ultimately proves detrimental to the featured fighters since it limits their exposure to a wider audience. And, because this particular fight was so damned good, it will make it easier to justify putting similar matchups on PPV going forward. Will it matter to promoters if those future contests aren’t nearly as good as this fight was? Probably not.
I think we all know where this is about to lead…
The boulder’s rolling down the hill, Sysiphus. Have fun pushing it back up.
I can see a reader shrugging when they read this, and saying something like “Drew…So what? You can’t travel back in time. You can only move forward. Yeah, it sucks that everything’s going to be paywalled, but it is what it is, and you can’t change that. Besides, if someone really wants to find a way to watch a fight, they’ll find a way to do so. ”
I understand this sentiment. I do. Still, I can’t help but feel that the overall health of the sport could be improved by increasing its accessibility. Not everyone has the wherewithal to plunk down sixty dollars or more at a moment’s notice. Not everyone is inclined to take the scenic route to watch a fight take place in the moment, or has the time to wait for the Youtube upload after the fact. If a promoter or broadcaster makes a fight like this easier for everyone to view, I think that everyone involved could benefit from that decision.
It wasn’t my intention to write this article as a critique of Late Stage/Deathbed Capitalism. I’m not equipped to do that and I don’t think the reader wants to hear it.
But I do want to close by saying this: I have been following this sport for half a century. It has annoyed and infuriated me in equal measure, and it has at times broken my heart and stolen my soul. But, every now and then, it provides me with a fight that leaves me standing and pacing in excitement. Every now and then, a fight comes along that causes my mind and heart to race, and compels me to sit down and try and make sense of what I just witnessed.
Fabio Wardley (20-0-1, 19KO’s) and Joseph Parker (36-4, 24 KO’s) produced such a contest yesterday.
I just wish more people would have gotten the opportunity to see this fight. I just wish I could go somewhere and ask “Did you see that fight yesterday!?”-the way I used to in previous years; and I just wish that individual would answer in the affirmative, like they used to in years past.
Maybe that’s a lot to wish for…
But, honestly? I don’t think it’s too much to ask.
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Thank you for reading.