Reasons Why Boxing Is Misunderstood: Blame It On the Media

    ENTRY 460


REASONS WHY MOST PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND BOXING

For this, entry number 460, I would like to discuss one of my peeves about boxing. Well, not boxing itself, but a look into why there are so many out there who simply just don't understand the sport.

Although it is not something that I commonly think about, it came to mind earlier in the week while the wife and I were watching something on TV.
On this particular show (a comedy), boxing was being represented and it was at that point I realized how many times boxing is misrepresented in TV, film and radio.

In this entry, a closer look as to how poorly this great sport is represented in the media.


TELEVISION (VIDEO STREAMING)


Laverne and Shirley S3E2: "Tag Team" (1977)  The character Carmine Ragusa was apparently a boxer in the series in this and the episode "Rocky Ragu" although in neither episode do we ever see him boxing.
In this episode, once in the ring, all that happens is a bunch of silliness. Including Carmine's opponent sitting on a stool in the middle of the ring and pulling his trunks all the way up to "confuse" his opponent.  None of this would most certainly be allowed in the real world of boxing. Although a comedy, there are ways this segment could have been funny without disrespecting the sport.




Three's Company S7E16: "Jack Goes the Distance" (1983)  This was very accurate right up to the boxing bout.  
Jack is challenged by a boxer to "come to the gym to fight". 
First of all two guys can't just walk into a boxing gym and jump into the ring. It just doesn't work that way. 
Second, once in the ring things just became silly. Not really any boxing at all. Jack was just messing around and even the character who was supposed to be the boxer didn't do any boxing, either. Yes, this is a comedy, but one can still be funny and represent boxing in an intelligent way.



Fame S3E5: "Knockout" (1983) In this episode, the character Christopher is challenged to a boxing bout. Apparently this character had boxing experience. Although not much of the boxing is shown in the episode, just before the bout Christopher says, "When you are in a fight there is a bloody guy on the canvas who isn't going anywhere for a while."
That is not how boxing works. Great build-up, though.


RADIO

Stu Jefferies CHBM-FM Toronto This guy just drives me absolutely crazy and that is the reason I no longer listen to him. He is constantly saying stupid things on the radio. I think he forgets that there are thousands of people listening to him.

Among his comments was one about a year ago when he actually had the nerve to compare boxing to MMA, saying that they were the same.

I found that quite offensive. 
Even if he didn't know he should have done some research first.

Boxing has nothing to do with martial arts and should not be compared to it.
MMA is a form of self-defense that was sloppily turned into a "sport". Whereas, boxing has always been a sport that can be used as a form of self defense.
Completely opposite and definitely not the same.


FILM

Of all of these, films seem to represent boxing the most accurately.
However, nobody can mention boxing films without mentioning Rocky.

I think few can deny that Rocky is a very likable character and that in his fictitious world he was heavyweight champion. However, let's be honest, in the real world he never would have been a champion. He had zero technique and had the sloppiest form of boxing every represented by a boxing character in a film. I doubt he would have even been good enough to become a professional in the real world.



To sum up, it is important to remember that in most cases the entertainment industry likes to "enhance" things and that includes boxing.  

If you really want to learn what boxing is really all about, ask someone who knows. A boxer or a boxing coach.

You can't believe everything the entertainment media throws at you.

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--Paul 'The Brick' Brec

LINKS:
MASTERS BOXING ON REDDIT
ANOTHER 'BRICK' IN THE SPRAWL