By Norm Frauenheim –
Olympic boxing, an unruly stepchild for more than three decades, moves ever closer to expulsion.
The Olympics ruling acronym, the IOC, issued another warning this week, saying it “could include the cancellation of boxing for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.”
It’s political, which these days means it involves the Russians. Their ongoing and unprovoked war on the Ukraine represents an even bigger peril to the Paris Games.
For now, however, the issue is boxing, which has failed to clean up its act throughout all the years and lousy decisions that have transpired since Roy Jones Jr. got robbed of gold at the 1988 Fixed Games in Seoul.
It’s beginning to look as if Michael Conlan’s middle-finger at the 2016 Rio Games will become the enduring symbol of boxing’s long and messy goodbye.
On one level, it’s sad. The Olympics produced Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Oleksandr Usyk, Sugar Ray Leonard, Andre Ward, Gennadiy Golovkin, Vasiliy Lomachenko, Lennox Lewis, Michael Carbajal, Jones and so many others. Boxing’s roots are there.
On another level, no Olympic boxing imperils the pro game. Even in its current eroded version, it’s a place to find and develop new talent. The success in women’s boxing over the last year would not have happened without Ireland’s Katie Taylor and American Claressa Shields, especially at the London Games in 2012.
That said, I’m not sure anybody really cares about Olympic boxing anymore. Fans have already done what Conlan did. They’ve turned it off. Flipped it off.
The latest episode in its inherent corruption involves a Russian, Umar Kremlev, the current leader of the latest iteration of boxing’s amateur acronym. It was known as AIBA. Now, it’s IBA. Let’s just say it’s just about EXTINCT. That, at least, looks more likely than ever.
The IOC is exasperated at a decision that allows Kremlev to remain as the president of amateur boxing. Kremlev was re-elected, but the IOC said in a statement published by The Associated Press and Washington Post Thursday that a candidate from the Netherlands was not allowed to run against him. Like those Jones’ scorecards in 1988, this one was fixed.
The IOC statement also suggests that the amateur boxing acronym is in fact a subsidiary of a Russian gas company called Gazprom.
“This announcement confirms that IBA will continue to depend on a company which is largely controlled by the Russian government,’’ the IOC said.
The next step appears to be inevitable. From boxers to oil, the Western world is trying to ban all things Russian. Canelo Alvarez couldn’t ban Dmitry Bivol from beating him last May in a stunner. But that’s another story.
The WBC has stopped rating Russian fighters. Western Europe promises not to buy Russian oil and gas. Olympic boxing is next.
A couple of weeks ago, Kremlev was very Russian-like in defending the IBA. At a forum in Abu Dhabi, he said the amateur acronym had implemented IOC recommendations.
“But,’’ Kremlev also said, “they have no right to dictate to us how to live.’’
Maybe not, but they do have a right to do what the Jones’ theft started and Conlan’s gesture punctuated.
Goodbye.
Emanuel Navarrete Update: It’s official. Top Rank announced this week that Australian Liam Wilson will step in for injured Oscar Valdez Jr. against Navarrete on Feb. 3 for a vacant junior-lightweight title at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale AZ.
Navarrete hopes to become the 10th Mexican to win world titles at three weights. The ESPN-televised bout will be Navarrete’s first appearance in Phoenix and second in Arizona. He stopped Isaac Dogboe in Tucson in a rematch in 2019.
Tickets, priced at $25 and $125, went on sale Wednesday
