I will not watch Jeff Horn and Anthony Mundine fight one another for a long list of reasons, many of which could be cut-n-pasted from a piece I wrote two years ago when I vowed not to watch Mundine fight Danny Green in Adelaide.
“Ambulance chasing in Adelaide,” I wrote, along with “grotesque pantomime” and “parody of sport”.
Another line that I enjoyed then and which still stands today was: “soul-less lunge to greed and stupidity and publicity-deprivation syndrome”.
And there followed several fruity adjectives to describe the flat-out ridiculous and dangerous idea of two forty-something men taking a pay-day by punching each other in the head.
And Mundine was 41 then.
I’m sure he’s in terrific shape physically, and that’s tremendous. And he could open the greatest celebrity personal training centre Redfern’s ever seen. Maybe one day he will.
For now he’s going to let another man punch him in the head for money. They reckon $2 million.
After tax, what? $1.25 million? It’s not a three-bedroom house in Allambie Heights. It’s chump change.
Ask yourself this: would you take a million dollars if it meant early onset Alzheimer’s?
Boxing causes head injury and causes the brain to bleed and that is bad because later in life men’s brains suffer complications such as that Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy one … and … blah-blah-blah.
You’ve heard this before. We all have. And each time boxing is debated the boxing lobby points to rugby league, and wheels out supportive stats, while the anti-boxing folks point to science, and the studies into the brains of fighters, amateur and professional … and on it will roll.
The countdown is on to Anthony Mundine vs Jeff Horn.
(AAP Image/David Mariuz)
And Horn and Mundine will fight anyway. And chances are you’re priming up the keyboard to knock out your take on why the wowsers don’t have to watch, they’re grown men making their own decisions in life, much as smokers and drinkers and methamphetamine injectors make choices when the consequences are well known.
And that’s all very well. But facts are good. And fact is: Repeated head injury turns people into stuttering drunks, and worse. It’s a thing. It’s science. It’s fact.
Boxing – and we should separate professional, ten-rounders with three-round Olympic point-scoring and headgear – is borderline human cock-fighting.
The MMA stuff in the cages is the same. Kids in school-grounds are drawn to fights for the same reason – people get off on it.
Fight-fight-fight. It’s a thing. Not a good thing. It’s a guilty pleasure, maybe.
It’s not … it’s not good.
I used to love it. Jeff Fenech’s fights on Wednesday nights, you wouldn’t be anywhere else. It was like State of Origin. Pubs were full.
It was the mid-eighties and we as a country were getting off on Crocodile Dundee and being noticed by America. And there was our Marrickville Mauler belting a succession of Japanese, Thais and Mexicans, and it made us feel good.
And Fenech got so good he went to America and Don King rigged the fight with Azuma Nelson, and the great fat con artist stood mid-ring and said, “We gots to do it again”.
And we seethed, our innocence slayed like harpooned baby Jesus.
But it was all great theatre. And how we bayed for Fenech and later for Kostya Tszyu and the poor bashed up melon of Jeff ‘Hitman’ Harding.
But it was another time. And now we know what we know: being hit in the head a lot causes brain injury and bleeding, and later in life it makes people grow old early and die. Smoking does the same thing. And smoking, we can all agree, one assumes, is bad.
Jeff Horn. Head intact. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
This fight is also not helpful to Australia as a harmonious whole. Because Mundine’s schtick is to fire up a cross-section of Australia who don’t like black blokes who gibber as Mundine gibbers, comparing himself to Muhammad Ali, and all that.
That he prays to Allah rather than the Christian god, though they are the same … thing, entity, deity … does not enamour our Choccie to such as Hanson voters who fear among other things that we’re in danger of being over-run by Muslims, Aborigines or both.
And Mundine knows it. He knows there’s however many hundreds of thousands of drongos who’ll fork out their own actual money to watch someone punch him in the head on pay-per-view. And he sucks them in time and again. And every fight is a dud.
But still, they’ll fight and make their coin because people get off on it.
And it remains a grotesque pantomime – and an ordinary, stupid and dangerous way to make a living.
catcat
Roar Rookie
Thanks for the article Matt, a reminder for us. I am a boxing fan by the way. I saw Mundine fight in Newcastle a couple of years ago - he got dropped a few times that night. I am not a fan of his but I felt for him that night..he kept getting back up. He has taken plenty of shots and yeah, probably will be taking some more with this fight. Horn has said he will retire from boxing in a couple of years - I guess for much of the reasons you mention. I suspect this is why he was keen to get over the the USA quick as. Unlike Choc who stayed in the small pond here. Things do change with time as we learn more, so who knows maybe the sport will be done in 50 years. I just wished it didn't do the harm it does as its such an intense sport - physically and mentally, speed and strength. I really enjoy it too..
Paulie
Guest
Add to it all Horn's dillusional trainer Ruston thought the bout with Crawford was stopped to early really?... he was copping and absolute flogging this kid will end up with scrambled eggs if Rushton stays on as his trainer absolutely no idea on looking after his fighter then again Rushton is a money man.
E.D. Riles
Roar Rookie
excellent response, Mundine announced today that this will be his last fight
Ben
Roar Guru
Oh haha. So you're both upset that people are making a choice that you wouldn't?... Just stop right there for a second... Now have you noticed the world didn't stop revolving?...
northerner
Guest
I find it amusing that people seem to have a problem with a journalist stating his opinion but can't actually articulate why they disagree with what he's saying. The point here, since some seem to have missed it, is not that these overage has-beens risk their future health and wellbeing by getting back into the ring for the money, but that the voyeurs pay them to do it. As you say, we all make choices, and by watching/paying for this, you too are making a choice. And that's the whole issue.
Ben
Roar Guru
So you don't like boxing... And you don't want to watch it... So you try and force your opinions on everyone else. How sad.
Hoges
Roar Rookie
There is not a single piece of evidence proving Ali got Parkinson’s as a result of boxing. The only thing that is known beyond any doubt is that Ali was diagnosed and being treated for Parkinson’s leading into his last few fights.
Brannavan Ramachandran
Guest
How is every fight a dud. His last fight was a second round KO when he was supposedly done. He made a guy that couldn't be KO'd by Mayweather, Pacqiou and Canelo quit. He came in as a 4-1 underdog vs Rabchencko and won. That's just to name a few. You also go on about how dangerous the sport is, but that's not specific to this fight, that applies to all fight
Brannavan Ramachandran
Guest
an educated response much better than the actual article
Brannavan Ramachandran
Guest
as opposed to the massive sample size used by the author of this article. Sorry Max - massive fail! He used the sample he did, as those were the names mentioned in the article
Graham
Guest
So basically your article is to say boxing is dangerous, it can cause brain injury. We all know this, we're not stupid, what's that got to do with Horn v Mundine? Have you got an opinion on Horn v Mundine? Firstly Mundine has had 56 fights over 18 years, so I think a 57th against a welterweight of average ability will not alter the chances of him getting early onset dementia, that ship has sailed. Horn however is probably thinking I'll take the money and that'll do me. So for those who read this article thinking they might get an insight into what to expect from Horn v Mundine, here it is. Anthony Mundine former 2 time WBA super middleweight champ currently ranked 12 by the WBO at middleweight, last fought in January with an impressive 2nd round knock out over Tommy Browne for the WBO Oriental belt. Horn is a former WBO Welterweight champ after winning a controversial decision over Manny Pacquiao last year. He lost that belt to Crawford in June with his first loss a TKO in the 9th. Regardless of sportsbet's odds, I see this as a close fight between men of different styles, Mundine a very technical and skilled fighter with good speed and excellent defence, against Horn who is extremely tough and hits hard, a real slugger. Expect Horn to come out strong in the early rounds looking for a KO. If Mundine can withstand this he should take control in the middle rounds on the back of his left jab, which at age 43 is still lightning fast. I'm expecting this to go the full 10 rounds with a close points decision win to Mundine. There you go Matt you owe me one, maybe a six pack of that pale ale you like, or shout me green fees at Longie, although I'd prefer Mona Vale it's a bit flatter, less wind. Cheers.
Jay Wright
Roar Rookie
Plus fox was born with his condition, Ali got his from boxing
Jay Wright
Roar Rookie
No Ali had Parkinson’s syndrome not disease. Fox has the disease
Jay Wright
Roar Rookie
Great point, boxing is so strict these days, the second any boxer is in trouble the fight is stopped. Horn was in trouble with Crawford, McGregor was one his way out against Floyd just to name a couple, actually Mundine fights are the only ones I can think of when a fighter is taking a beating and the ref should of stopped it long before he did, but then again it’s Mundine
farqueue
Roar Rookie
Didn't Ali suffer from the same disease as Michael j Fox?
farqueue
Roar Rookie
They don't wear headgear in Olympic men's boxing anymore. You should be more outraged over horse racing. How many jockeys are injured and die around the world for the sole purpose of gambling.
Brendan Jones
Roar Rookie
Excellent comment
Brendan Jones
Roar Rookie
Nice try Barry, pitiful alias.
max power
Guest
thanks Big J, instead of using some stats you have used a massive sample size of 4 people to prove your point. fail
me too
Roar Rookie
You can have your opinion matt, and shout it to the world, just like the antismoking brigade, vegans, greenies, the fundamentalists, the aestheists, the far left, the far right, and on it goes. in the end we all make the choices we make, and if a grown man chooses to box for a living, then better he have the right to that choice than have it denied. you go on promoting alcohol, cheering other contact sports, eating animals, forgoing eternal life...