Sportsmanship in Boxing.
Is it a generalization to say that we get wiser when we get older?
Mzonke Fana, the former IBF world champion, now at the ripe old age of 41 had the opportunity of recently fighting the “Golden Boy” of South Africa, Xolisani Ndongeni in Johannesburg.
After outboxing the younger Ndongeni and winning the fight on most people’s scorecards, but sadly not on the judges’, Fana, while being interviewed, spoke about close fights he had won and close fights he had lost.
“I thought I won, but I accept the decision of the judges as they are the people who count. Sometimes I get lucky and sometimes not, tonight was the latter. It will just make me come back stronger than before.”
An interesting response from a champion, showing class and integrity in his ‘defeat’.
In virtually all sports, the human factor comes into play when it comes to officiating, nowhere more so than in boxing. Professional sport in the modern era is fast and referees and judges can occasionally err, but that’s life.
Upset as a team or an individual may be at a result, results stand and teams and individuals move on to the next match – in most cases but not in all, sadly.
To change results to simply suit disillusioned teams or individuals would set the most dangerous precedent in sport, particularly boxing. Winning and losing is part of sport, but accepting both with grace and integrity shows the professionalism and class of the sportsman.
Mzonke Fana showed that class when accepting his so-called defeat. Was it because Fana is older, wiser and more experienced or is it simply because of the great person and personality he is?
Perhaps in this modern day of instant gratification young people have possibly lost their way somewhat – they don’t read, they don’t communicate – and they live their lives with modern technology dictating and directing their lives.
Is it that younger boxers tend to simply not accept decisions that go against them? Is it an immaturity or rather an act of a childish petulant young man or young woman?
Boxing judges do a good job most of the time, and yes, at other times fights may seem controversially scored and a boxer might feel hard done. But that’s boxing. The classy thing to do is to accept the decision, even if it does not go your way, and move on with an incentive to do even better.
That is how true professionals go about their business. The alternative is to whine and cry over a result and come out looking like an immature spoiled child who simply didn’t get her own way.
Perhaps those immature spoiled children in boxing, who cannot accept close and occasionally controversial scoring that maybe doesn’t go their way, should find another sport that suits them. Accept and adapt as opposed to cheat and manipulate the scores is what people with class and dignity would do.
Boxing is a hot sport and if fighters cannot accept decisions and the heat, then it’s time to get out of the kitchen!
Boxing is the greatest sport there is. Yes, not all decisions may be popular but they are the decisions of the judges and the judges are the people who count. Grow up, those people who think differently!
Until next time, keep boxing.
Howard Goldberg
PRESIDENT: World Boxing Federation
