Why Gatti-Ward was a Shame for Boxing.

[tito yuca]

What was disgusting to me was the way the major money was only made available to these guys once the networks were sure they had two guys that were obviously going to **** each other up.

I hear ya on that. Every man in both sides of my family loves boxing, basketball, and baseball, as do I and have always done. For a while I wondered why I liked it so much. I'm very much against violence of almost any kind, and even if I knew that you don't have to go murder the other person to win, you're still hitting someone and getting hit in return.

But what you mention is what really is disgusting. These men obviously choose to be boxers themselves, but promoters, networks, and men in suits obviously dictate what they do and make huge amounts of money off their profession. It IS sad that no one cares about these men when what they do doesn't result in huge thrills as a result of violent beatdowns. But that IS the sport, and fighters should know that they are constanly being pimped and manipulated and perhaps endangered so that some people will come out entertained and others paid.

[Bozo_no no]

Ward and Gatti fought those fights because they are both motivated by thier pride in carry the label of the toughest warriors in the sport.

They faced off because their pride propelled them to do so, and boxing was the natural back drop to facilitate such a battle of wills and courage.

In the end, we learned that they were both equally tough and they fought three of the most epic brawls of the decade and of their careers in front of millions of apreciative fans.

It's what the sport is all about, and the admiration, respect and friendship that came out of those fights between those fighters underlines everything that's good about the sport.

They both established legacies based off those fights that were bigger than them and their careers.

I'm willing to bet either of them wouldn't have changed a thing looking back on it.

[Dr.Depravity]

Ward and Gatti fought those fights because they are both motivated by thier pride in carry the label of the toughest warriors in the sport.

They faced off because their pride propelled them to do so, and boxing was the natural back drop to facilitate such a battle of wills and courage.

In the end, we learned that they were both equally tough and they fought three of the most epic brawls of the decade and of their careers in front of millions of apreciative fans.

It's what the sport is all about, and the admiration, respect and friendship that came out of those fights between those fighters underlines everything that's good about the sport.

They both established legacies based off those fights that were bigger than them and their careers.

I'm willing to bet either of them wouldn't have changed a thing looking back on it.

Exactly. I think both will say it was worth it because they left memorable moment in boxing history. Both men gave it their all, and both embodied everything it means to have heart and pride in their sport.

[Castillofan]

I'd wager not many people love this sport as much as me.

But for the guy who said go watch figure skating, statistically, figure skating is a more popular sport than boxing today. That's how far boxing has slipped.

I am not concerned that they fought, or that they almost killed one another. What gets me is that there was always very little financial reward available to these until these brutal fights came along.

My point is that it's a shame that boxing doesn't see fit to pay these guys what they are worth until they almost kill each other. I don't see what of that indicates that i'm not much of a boxing fan. For the record, i've followed this game almost all of my life.

You have your Roy Jones's, Mayweathers and Naseem Hamed's that got a pass for fighting nobodies, and they have always been paid far and away more than fighters like Gatti, who fought everyone, and win, lose, or draw, was always better value for money than the likes of Jones especially.

[eazy_mas]

I was just looking back at footage of the Gatti-Ward fights and was struck by something. No, not my wife trying to get time to check her e-mail. Those fights were amazing; though if you really think about it, completely uncalled for.

Think about the fifth round of what I believe is the first fight. You know, that round; the one that has Manny Steward actually sounding like he's alive when he's commentating. Think of the last half a minute of the round, when Gatti lands some huge body punches to both sides of Ward. Those shots could be felt by anyone that saw them.

Then think about the combinations upstairs that Gatti goes to work with on Ward. Then remember that combination from Ward; the one where Gatti's head is hung out to dry and Ward just tees off on it with around six shots unanswered. Then they go at it with mainly Ward landing huge head shots.

That stands out to me; but those fights were full of moments like that. Three full fight's worth of nothing but sheer, brutal punishment round after bloody round. Those two must have been hospitalized after each one of those fights. Certainly, Ward had to retire afterwards; perhaps Gatti should have.

We talk about courage, but does anyone really think that those two fighters really wanted to go out there and do that to themselves? Does anyone doubt that we would never have seen those fights if boxing had any financial alternatives for either of them?

Those fighters should never have been in a position to have to fight those fights. And that's the issue; they had to fight those fights because they'd never seen the kind of money that HBO was offering. There had never been the kind of interest in either of them that would justify that kind of money. They found a niche that could have killed one or both of them.

It happens all the time: Fans and networks don't switch on until their enjoyment is assured. Nobody wanted to pay for Castillo-Corrales until they almost killed one another. Sure enough, the rematch was on pay-per-view. Even sooner, the third was; only Castillo, a hero in showtime's estimation, a true warrior, became a villain as soon as he couldn't make weight and stopped that fight from happening.

It's hypocrisy. Where are these so-called boxing fans? Where are they when it comes to feeding this sport and preventing fighters like Gatti and Ward, at the end of their careers, having to go through three of the most brutal fights in not only their but anyone's history because that was the only alternative?

This may sound strange coming from a boxing fan, but I find that barbaric. I find the attitudes that these supposed fans and the networks have towards fighters. These fighters are not superheroes with special powers they can conjure up for the amusement of the masses. This is real. Remember that when the broadcast ends and the channel gets changes, these guys are in the hospital.

that is buniess.

if one or two guy die for couple of buck making in process than shall be it.

its not only boxing but many thing like guns, medicail thing and many stuff where health and safty for one being is not a big deal when money is invovle.

[mgkirkpatrick]

i see your point but think its naive to even contemplate a world in which two guys with big hearts and few skills would make as much as money for puttin on an exhibition of there meek skills as they did showing there hearts. i dont think its wrong that they get paid to near kill each other.. i think its logical.
u have to bring a product to the table.

btw castillofan this is probably coming out all wrong but im not trying to attack your opinion just give mine.

[Bozo_no no]

With the money they got for those fights vs the prospect of retiring without that money, I'm sure that's just another reason Arturo and Mickey are glad they had their trilogy.

[Castillofan]

i see your point but think its naive to even contemplate a world in which two guys with big hearts and few skills would make as much as money for puttin on an exhibition of there meek skills as they did showing there hearts. i dont think its wrong that they get paid to near kill each other.. i think its logical.
u have to bring a product to the table.

btw castillofan this is probably coming out all wrong but im not trying to attack your opinion just give mine.

It's cool man; I respect your view.

With a business full of corrupt promoters taking advantage of fighters left and right; ring deaths on the rise, and fighters continually ending up broke at the end of their careers, if it's naive to want them to have alternatives and the business they add so much to, to take care of them, then I am naive, idealistic, whatever you want to call it.

Some of you are thinking i'm saying the fights were the shame, and that the nature of the combat was a shame. That's not it at all. I'm saying that the shame is that they had to do that at the twilight of their careers. There were no financial alternatives. At that stage, those two were pretty much top clubfighters; that was an Friday night fights main event if ever you've seen one.

But HBO sees the carnage and is willing to pay up. I don't see the logic in that, especially when you have them paying a ****load to people like Jones to fight what - a full-time police officer?

[PapiShasho]

But for the guy who said go watch figure skating, statistically, figure skating is a more popular sport than boxing today. That's how far boxing has slipped.

What are you smoking, bro? Figure skating isn't and has never been more popular than boxing, end of story.

Do more people watch it? Maybe, it's on free TV. Would you catch hundreds of thousands of fans paying $49.95 to watch it? No.

[mgkirkpatrick]

What are you smoking, bro? Figure skating isn't and has never been more popular than boxing, end of story.

Do more people watch it? Maybe, it's on free TV. Would you catch hundreds of thousands of fans paying $49.95 to watch it? No.

i think that is called exaggeration for dramatic effect papi.


i dig what you're sayin castillofan.. it'd take a massive overhaul of boxing for anything to change.