Boxing

 

Boxing

Boxing boots

Barry has always maintained his interest in boxing, but his fighting days are far behind him. While he watches boxing, I watch him and smile as he twitches his shoulders as though he’s in the ring. I suppose it’s muscle memory.

I never saw him fight, though I did see some of his training – running backwards up hills, press-ups, shadow boxing, skipping. The rhythm and pace of the skipping was impressive, the leather rope hitting the floor with regular beats. It made my skipping look very amateurish – if I could manage one double jump I thought I was doing well, but Barry could do umpteen in succession and do cross-overs as well.

Our eldest daughter was convinced, probably still is, that she had seen her father box, but she hadn’t – an example of false memory syndrome, I suppose, though I don’t remember boxing being discussed much in front of her when she was little.

One might think that all the rhythmic footwork would make a boxer a good dancer. Maybe some of them are, but dancing with Barry – our attempts at jiving, anyway – was more like being in a boxing ring. No punching was involved, of course, but I sometimes felt I needed ropes to bounce me back to him. Then his knees gave out and we stopped trying.

The Shame of Olympic Boxing 2012

I have been watching the excellent coverage of women’s volleyball. This is a fast, exciting sport and is being beautifully and clearly refereed. There are no arguments or appeals – it is entirely fair. What a contrast to boxing!

Barry comes from a boxing family - his father, grandfather and uncle were all good amateur boxers – and his father gave him a pair of boxing gloves when he was nine. His first ‘bout’ was in a ring he fashioned in his back garden. More serious fights followed when he became a full time amateur (shamateur) boxer in the Army and since he retired from the ring he has maintained a key interest in the sport. By default I have also developed an interest in boxing and am always keen to hear the commentary of ex-boxers and the analysis of boxing experts at the ring-side.

The London 2012 Boxing Olympics has gained Barry’s admiration for the high standard of boxers and his utter contempt for the officials (referees, judges, International Olympics Committee (IOC) and the Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA).  The boxing press and boxing notables like Lennox Lewis are universally outraged at the ineptitude (or deliberate bias) of the officials.  There have been numerous instances of referees who are either not aware of the rules of the sport or are ignoring them. The links below provide examples from the large press cover on the issue.

 http://www.worldboxing101.com/2012/08/06/the-disorderly-conduct-of-2012-olympic-boxing-no-justice-in-sight/

http://boxingaction.com/index.php?/201208042382/Amateur_Boxing/the-olympic-amateur-boxing-shambles-continues-boxing-needs-a-sebastian-coe-style-leader.html#disqus_thread

Compared to many other disciplines boxing is not difficult to judge yet many of the fights have been blatantly misjudged. I’m no expert but even I can see when a fighter is holding or delivering an illegal punch. The IOC is meant to oversee the quality of judging and refereeing but is mysteriously silent following dreadful decisions. A number of these travesties have resulted in appeals leading to officials being expelled from the Games. Most worrying of all has been the failure of the IOC and the AIBA to respond to a BBC whistle blower’s broadcast last September about AIBA corruption concerning payments to favour certain boxers.

Boxing is a great sport that has done much, particularly for under-privileged youth. It focuses energy and demands self-discipline.  Boxing and boxers deserve much better than the treatment they have received in the London 2012 Olympics.  The IOC has failed to ensure that the sport is properly regulated and must ensure dramatic changes before the next games. If it cannot do so I regret that it should be excluded from the Olympic stage. A good start would be to demand and secure the resignation of the entire senior level of the AIBA.

Tales from the Academy – milling

RC, sadly no longer with us, was a gentle young man and one of the nicest people anyone could meet. He was also a gifted boxer. Terry Downes, World Middleweight Champion in 1961, considered him the best amateur he'd ever seen. He was unusual in that he could knock out with either hand. He had had a lot of experience before going to Sandhurst, fighting in amateur matches and fairground booths.

One day, not long after his arrival at the academy the cadets were milling, practising their technique. The PTI (Physical Training Instructor) looked around for a suitable candidate for his demonstration and his eyes fell on RC. Now RC was well-built, big and strong; he looked and walked and carried himself like a boxer – he was a prime example of a pugilist. The PTI, himself a big man, called him over and said, 'Come on now, sir, hit me.'

RC protested, 'Excuse me, Staff . . .' but the instructor was insistent. 'No, come on, sir, hit me – hit me as hard as you can.'

Once again RC said, 'Excuse me, Staff, but . . . ' only to be interrupted once more by the PTI. 'Come on sir, hit me.'

The rest of the cadets were agog for they knew RC's capabilities. Reluctantly RC did as ordered and threw a punch at the PTI who fell to the floor, pole axed. When the instructor gathered his wits and rose groggily to his feet, he gazed glassily at RC and said, 'You've done this before haven't you sir?'