By James Blears
Actor Russell Crowe has labeled boxing as stupid. But isn’t he, rather than the hardest game, who has a problem…Sport?
Crow who’s known for his volatility and oafishness, made the off the cuff remarks while promoting his latest film Cinderella Man, about fighter Jimmy Braddock who came off the relief rolls to win the World Heavyweight title from Max Baer. Crowe who’s in London for the movie’s British premiere, dubbed boxing "stupid".
He talked about two guys putting on gloves and bashing each other to the head.
Crowe who played a mixed up genius in A Beautiful Mind, has also got the equation scrambled here too.
The whole point of boxing is to defend yourself at all times, and hit without being hit. It’s a profession -acting is another.
Of course Russell Crowe probably can’t understand boxing that well, because he was only pretending to be a boxer, and how well because filming had to be postponed for a while, when he dislocated one of his shoulders. A few boxers occasionally pretend to be actors. But I know which ones I prefer.
Boxing is a positive upward path for the poorest of the poor. It offers a helping, if occasionally stinging backhand to youngsters, who don’t have a comfortable suburban middle class upbringing like Russell Crowe.
Boxing also moulds character, integrity and true grit. In his Oscar acceptance speech Russell Crowe, could almost have been talking about boxing when he said: “And for anybody who’s on the downside of advantage, and relying purely on courage, it’s possible.”
Boxing also often successfully teaches self control. This is something that Russell Crowe has yet to learn a bit more about. He slammed a producer of the Bafta Film awards against a wall, following an editing spat. Then he squared up to one of his bodyguards during the filming of Cinderella Man. And more recently he’s been arrested, after he reputedly flung a telephone at an employee of a hotel in New York. He’s due to face assault charges.
Someone once said that boxers are a little like gladiators in that both professions are despised but have still produced individual heroes who are adored and feted by the general public.
Of all people, Russell Crowe should have grasped this fact.
Boxing does not need knockers like Russell Crowe. It also does not need blatant inaccuracies like Director Ron Howard made in portraying Max Baer.
It cast Maxie in the role of a foul mouthed villan hissing vile obscenities about Jimmy’s Wife to him. This is not who Max was. His family insist it isn’t true and this injustice must be righted. Poetic license is one thing, but dirtying Jimmy’s name and legacy is another. Of course Jimmy’s long past defending himself. He died of a heart attack, while shaving…or trying to present a clean image of himself to the world.
Russell Crowe has worked hard for success and fame and deserves his plaudits. He’s normally very good at what he does. So why does he have to belittle a profession he knows so little about?!
When the Romans captured British Chiefton Caractacus and took him in chains to Rome, he looked in wonder at the buildings and asked why they coveted his little island and modest possessions. It’d do Russell Crowe good to learn a little more humility.
Returning conquering Roman Generals often enjoyed massive parades of cheering people in Rome. But the Roman masters of ceremonies were wise. They always had a slave positioned just behind the hero, who’s job it was to occasionally whisper in his ear. “Remember…thou art mortal.”
Sacks of gold wouldn’t entice me to play that role with Russell Crowe. Although I would suggest that the people who sweat, jab, hook and bleed, do deserve more of his respect. He owes boxing an apology.