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This is my latest interview with Glen Johnson. Let me say it was an incredible pleasure speaking to him . Easy to talk to and a true Gentleman.. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed doing it . Like always I am looking for feedback
MA: You said: “There is a trend of glorifying a fighter’s undefeated record (which is hurting the sport),” how can we change this?
I don’t know… how we can change it as far as, you know, as just changing it. I believe that if you allow the fighter, to fight, and the less than best fighter comes out on top and give the best fighter, it doesn’t matter if that fighter has lost and no longer undefeated, but you give that fighter the same respect as you give the undefeated fighter. Then you have more fighters willing to take chances with their undefeated record. But, you know, the way that boxing is set up right now.
Once you no longer have that undefeated record the respect don’t stay the same, the respect kind of goes away. And that’s the way the promoters and the TV networks is kind of selling fighters. The fighter is now becoming more … more protective of their undefeated record. So they become more picky with who they are going to fight or who they might fight or who they want to fight…people who they know they are going to beat; it’s easier for them to challenge guys that they know is not up to their level. Ah, then challenge somebody that is equally as good or somebody they think might be better, somebody that they might get beat. Rather than get broken down and put in the time not if, you know, you’re good enough to beat those guys, they don’t want to take those chances.
So, I’d say… if the respect is there and the opportunity is there for guys who are not undefeated… then guys will take more chances because they are not going to lose all of that you know so called glamour or clout.
continued: ringsidereport.com
MA: You said: “There is a trend of glorifying a fighter’s undefeated record (which is hurting the sport),” how can we change this?
I don’t know… how we can change it as far as, you know, as just changing it. I believe that if you allow the fighter, to fight, and the less than best fighter comes out on top and give the best fighter, it doesn’t matter if that fighter has lost and no longer undefeated, but you give that fighter the same respect as you give the undefeated fighter. Then you have more fighters willing to take chances with their undefeated record. But, you know, the way that boxing is set up right now.
Once you no longer have that undefeated record the respect don’t stay the same, the respect kind of goes away. And that’s the way the promoters and the TV networks is kind of selling fighters. The fighter is now becoming more … more protective of their undefeated record. So they become more picky with who they are going to fight or who they might fight or who they want to fight…people who they know they are going to beat; it’s easier for them to challenge guys that they know is not up to their level. Ah, then challenge somebody that is equally as good or somebody they think might be better, somebody that they might get beat. Rather than get broken down and put in the time not if, you know, you’re good enough to beat those guys, they don’t want to take those chances.
So, I’d say… if the respect is there and the opportunity is there for guys who are not undefeated… then guys will take more chances because they are not going to lose all of that you know so called glamour or clout.
continued: ringsidereport.com
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