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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
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