Sometimes,the truth hurts

Another robbery in Las Vegas tonight as Andre Ward took the light heavyweight titles away from Sergey Kovalev via an awful unanimous decision.
I'm not going to discuss the fight too much,I'll be doing the boxing challenge later to do that and I'm sure it will be a main part of Fight Heads Monday night.

What I am on this night is tired.
Tired of supporting a sport that doesn't seem to care enough to get it right.
Tired of people looking at my sport as corrupt at worst,incompetent at best and maybe after all this,its time for me to walk away.

I'm not threatening anything and Monday night,I'll be on the air with Ramon and I'm sure I'll howl about this among other things.
However,this is different for one reason-the feeling is different.
I'm not mad.
I'm sad and there is a difference.
I've been a fan for over 40 years and I've seen my share of bad decisions before,but I would get upset at the horrible judges that populate boxing.
This time,I'm just numbed-like you saw it coming and you still have to take the needle.

Boxing has been in my life since I was a small child.
Some of my best memories were around boxing and I can still relate some fights to where I saw them.
I watched Muhammad Ali-Leon Spinks I at my grandfather's and was stunned to see Spinks pull the shocker,I remember dragging a portable black and white TV to my summer job announcing little league games to watch the Saturdayafternoon fights (where are you now Milton McCrory?) and going the extra mile to see whatever I could.
There were bad decisions then too and maybe it's the nostalgia in me,but they didn't seem so predetermined.
That could be wishful thinking,but we are at a point in the sport where judges cards seem to be filled out before the bout starts or even giving makeup rounds (Andre Ward won the last 6 rounds on two judges cards) in order to get the result required.
I'm not saying boxing is pro wrestling-you'll never hear me say that the fighters have any knowledge of winners and losers,but if you have the judges,you don't really need the fighters.

Boxing is a sport that features skills and heart and yet the rewards for the fan often are far outweighed by the underside.
Paying for bad undercards,less than thrilling main events and the issues in getting to see top fights are just a few of the problems for the boxing fans that can leave you feeling screwed and that's just us.
Add to that the expenses of pay per view and premium cable and more often than not,you can see boxing as a brutal taskmaster that asks so much and gives very little back.
For the fan,you can see how many other hobbies and interests give so much more.

I feel bad for Sergey Kovalev mainly because he deserved a win,but I feel for Andre Ward too.Readers and listeners know that I have been critical of Ward and not a fan,but tonight I gained respect for him in defeat and was ready to write that Ward won some fans over on this evening
with a gallant,but losing effort.
Ward lost all of that by getting the decision.
The story changed from Kovalev's excellent victory and Ward's showing the grit that so many doubted that he had to "Oh gee,boxing shoots itself again" returning all the ill feelings that many had toward Ward.

When you drill into the ground for anything-oil,gas,water-you name it,when you succeed there is no bottomless pit.
Eventually,you run out of what you are drilling for in any particular area and you move on.
For the first time in my life,I can see a life without boxing and I'm not sure just how much I'll miss it.
If I can be run off,how on earth can you draw and keep the new fans?
That's a question for another day.

Thanks for reading,I'll be on Fight Heads Monday night at 8 EST to talk more boxing.
Call in and talk to me....