Tweet
Came across this article about ways boxing could be improved by Brent Hedtke. Which ideas do you think are good ideas?
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/qu..._reddit_is_fun
1) No more sanctioning bodies
This is the most obvious and important change to make. For anything else in this sport to evolve, first we have to abolish the alphabet groups and establish a formal commission.
2) Overtime rounds
Picture this: two boxers go at each other for 12 rounds, each scoring a few knockdowns as the momentum sways from one man to the other across the fight. The judges tally up the scores, hand them to the ring announcer and, after letting the tension in the arena reach a nearly unbearable crescendo, he reveals a unanimous draw across all three cards.
Now picture this: the scorecards are read, a draw is announced and the ring clears out as both fighters return to their corners to put their mouthpieces back in for one more winner-takes-all round.
3) Same-day weigh-ins
There is an obvious purpose to having weigh-ins the day before fights: after killing themselves for the previous month to make weight, fighters need to replenish before going into the ring. However, given the extent to which modern fighters rehydrate in the ensuing 24 hours, the door is wide open for size discrepancies to have disastrous consequences.
4) Zero-sum purses
Winner-takes-all purses. Here’s how it works now: say your fighter is the champion of his division and you want him to take an easy fight or a tune up. Fine, but if he chooses to fight someone outside of the top 10, he has to put his entire purse on the line. Same goes for the challenger. How many champions are willing to risk their title and their purse just to take an easy fight? It’s the ultimate “put your money where your mouth is” scenario.
5) Start fights earlier
There is no excuse for entering the ring on a Saturday and leaving it on a Sunday.
6) Five judges
Most competitive dance-based sports use a five-judge system where the two widest scorecards are dropped and the middle three are used as official scores. Boxing should follow this model to safeguard against incompetence and corruption. It would add another layer of insulation against stupidity and misconduct, and boxing needs as many of those as it can get.
7) Allow refs to cuts the tape
The tape on a fighter’s glove comes loose and thrashes around like an angry tapeworm for half a round until the ref finally calls time and walks him over to his corner. The corner then fumbles around at half speed while giving their man a long list of instructions. It’s unfair and a waste of time. Just give the ref a roll of tape and little pair of scissors.
8) No testing for recreational drugs
Overturning a decision because a fighter tested positive for recreational – that is non-performance enhancing – drugs is archaic and shows a fundamental misunderstanding of how drugs work. Boxing is a hard sport. If a fighter wants to take the edge off by smoking marijuana or doing a couple lines a few weeks before a fight, who cares?
9) No training while suspended
This would be hard to enforce but, nevertheless, if a fighter is suspended for taking performance-enhancing drugs, he should not be allowed to train.
If any banned fighter caught in a gym had their suspension extended by a year, they would think twice before wolfing down another Mexican clenbuterol burger.
10) Video replays for cuts and fouls
Boxing is a fast, nuanced sport and referees have a thankless job. If referees miss a call in the blink of an eye, they can be blamed for ruining a fight. We should implement a system that protects the referees against forgivable mistakes and rewards the fighters with accurate calls. Let’s use video replays to determine the cause of cuts and the accuracy of slips and foul calls.
This is the most obvious and important change to make. For anything else in this sport to evolve, first we have to abolish the alphabet groups and establish a formal commission.
2) Overtime rounds
Picture this: two boxers go at each other for 12 rounds, each scoring a few knockdowns as the momentum sways from one man to the other across the fight. The judges tally up the scores, hand them to the ring announcer and, after letting the tension in the arena reach a nearly unbearable crescendo, he reveals a unanimous draw across all three cards.
Now picture this: the scorecards are read, a draw is announced and the ring clears out as both fighters return to their corners to put their mouthpieces back in for one more winner-takes-all round.
3) Same-day weigh-ins
There is an obvious purpose to having weigh-ins the day before fights: after killing themselves for the previous month to make weight, fighters need to replenish before going into the ring. However, given the extent to which modern fighters rehydrate in the ensuing 24 hours, the door is wide open for size discrepancies to have disastrous consequences.
4) Zero-sum purses
Winner-takes-all purses. Here’s how it works now: say your fighter is the champion of his division and you want him to take an easy fight or a tune up. Fine, but if he chooses to fight someone outside of the top 10, he has to put his entire purse on the line. Same goes for the challenger. How many champions are willing to risk their title and their purse just to take an easy fight? It’s the ultimate “put your money where your mouth is” scenario.
5) Start fights earlier
There is no excuse for entering the ring on a Saturday and leaving it on a Sunday.
6) Five judges
Most competitive dance-based sports use a five-judge system where the two widest scorecards are dropped and the middle three are used as official scores. Boxing should follow this model to safeguard against incompetence and corruption. It would add another layer of insulation against stupidity and misconduct, and boxing needs as many of those as it can get.
7) Allow refs to cuts the tape
The tape on a fighter’s glove comes loose and thrashes around like an angry tapeworm for half a round until the ref finally calls time and walks him over to his corner. The corner then fumbles around at half speed while giving their man a long list of instructions. It’s unfair and a waste of time. Just give the ref a roll of tape and little pair of scissors.
8) No testing for recreational drugs
Overturning a decision because a fighter tested positive for recreational – that is non-performance enhancing – drugs is archaic and shows a fundamental misunderstanding of how drugs work. Boxing is a hard sport. If a fighter wants to take the edge off by smoking marijuana or doing a couple lines a few weeks before a fight, who cares?
9) No training while suspended
This would be hard to enforce but, nevertheless, if a fighter is suspended for taking performance-enhancing drugs, he should not be allowed to train.
If any banned fighter caught in a gym had their suspension extended by a year, they would think twice before wolfing down another Mexican clenbuterol burger.
10) Video replays for cuts and fouls
Boxing is a fast, nuanced sport and referees have a thankless job. If referees miss a call in the blink of an eye, they can be blamed for ruining a fight. We should implement a system that protects the referees against forgivable mistakes and rewards the fighters with accurate calls. Let’s use video replays to determine the cause of cuts and the accuracy of slips and foul calls.
Comment