By Norm Frauenheim
An old line is as current as ever this week because of the acronyms, which continue to prove that the only thing killing boxing is boxing itself.
The IBF is redefining itself. Call it the Irrelevant Boxing Federation. The latest move dropped Thursday with news that defies common sense. Business sense, too. Then again, the IBF is in the business of collecting sanctioning fees. But there won’t be too many more of those if the IBF continues to make baffling moves that can only shove the acronym into further obscurity.
The latest: A threat to strip Artur Beterbiev of the IBF piece of the light-heavyweight title within a week after he retained it, two other belts and added a fourth in a controversial scorecard decision over Dmitry Bivol in Riyadh.
You didn’t have to watch the fight to know that a rematch had to be next. I didn’t watch because of another acronym, DAZN, which advertised that the undercard’s live stream would be free in the US and Canada, yet then charged $19.99. Frustrated, I just decided to say no. It was just the latest example of how boxing conducts itself. Only in boxing can a circular firing squad become a business agenda.
According to many accounts in the post-fight scuffle on social media, Bivol got robbed. Maybe. Maybe not. However, at least one of the scorecards in the majority decision says that Bivol did enough to get a rematch. One judge scored it a draw, 114-114. The other two cards favored Beterbiev, 115-113 and 116-112, a score that managed to generate a lot of the outrage.
Whatever you think, the fight and subsequent debate left a question. The only way to get an answer is with a rematch. For a few days, at least, that seemed to be what everyone wanted.
Beterbiev, who says little, said enough to indicate he’s willing.
With Bivol and his corner, there was never much doubt. Many in the Bivol corner were shouting robbery. An attorney for Bivol petitioned the acronyms Wednesday, asking for a rematch.
For once, there seemed to be some consensus. But — surprise, surprise — it didn’t last. The familiar chaos was back with news from the IBF that it would order Beterbiev to fight somebody named Michael Eifert. It could have ordered him to fight the Eiffel Tower for all that it mattered. Does anybody know who Michael Eifert is? Didn’t think so.
Then again, does anybody know William Scull? He’s a good name for Halloween, but as a champion, or challenger he is as unknown as Eifert (13-1, 5 KOs), an IBF challenger living in Germany who is best known for scoring a decision over a faded Jean Pascal in March 2023.
By coincidence, perhaps, Scull (22-0, 9 KOs), a Cuban also living in Germany, fights for the first time Saturday since the IBF elevated him to the top of super-middleweight ratings after stripping Canelo Álvarez of its 168-pound belt.
Scull fights for Canelo’s former piece of the undisputed title against an unbeaten Russian named Vladimir Shishkin, (16-0, 10 KOs) in Falkensee, a town west of Berlin. Will anybody see it? Put it this way: There won’t be any speculative stories about the pay-per-view count. No television or streaming is planned.
In effect, the IBF stripped Canelo of the belt and itself of his drawing power. The numbers are smaller, but the IBF could be taking a similar step in a baffling move, a so-called order that Beterbiev fight an unknown or risk losing his 175-pound belt.
Common sense dictates that the IBF — or any other acronym arrogant enough to issue orders, designate mandatories and call itself a ruling body — threatens to strip Beterbiev of only if he declines to do an immediate rematch.
Anything else is a down payment on irrelevancy.
NOTES
Speaking of rematches, a couple of them were formally announced this week. Top Rank will stage Emanuel Navarrete-versus-Oscar Valdez Dec. 7 in Phoenix in a rematch of Navarrete’s punishing decision over Valdez in a dramatic junior-lightweight title bout August, 2023 at Glendale’s Desert Diamond Arena.
The card, aptly called Scores 2 Settle, will also include Rafael Espinoza versus Robeisy Ramirez in a featherweight rematch of Espinoza’s majority-decision victory in December.
The ESPN card has been in the news for months. The only difference will be the site. Initially, it was believed that Navarrete-Valdez would go back to Glendale. But it was announced this week that they’ll do the sequel at Footprint Center, the NBA Suns home in downtown Phoenix.
