The Ball is in Your Ring

Like many fight fans, I was shocked a few months back when it was announced Marc Ratner was leaving his post with the Nevada State Athletic Commission to take up shop with the UFC. While such a move appears to be a major step in the right direction for Ultimate Fighting, boxing enthusiasts are left to wonder when this UFC takeover will end. In the past few years the UFC s popularity has expanded like wildfire across cable television and the pay-per view markets with no definitive end in sight. But what about our beloved fight sport of boxing. Now don t get me wrong, Ultimate Fighters are athletes. They are well-conditioned machines with a (seemingly suicidal) hunger for fierce competition. In writing this piece, I have no intention of taking anything away from UFC combatants. With that being said, I am not a fan of Ultimate Fighting. I have watched the fights and caught a couple episodes of the reality show on SpikeTV, but in the end, it just doesn t do anything for me. I am, after all, a boxing purist. The artistry and history connected to professional pugilism is among the most unique in all of sports. And while a large segment of the American population is prepared to move on to the twenty-first century s new form of popular fighting, I will certainly be among those remaining in a stand-still. After long contemplation, I have concluded that ESPN is the only entity in the world of American sports with the power to stop the UFC from taking center stage over boxing in terms of professional fighting, of course. That is why I am here at my computer typing this piece and praying that ESPN knows a good thing when they have it. A good thing being its strong commitment to professional boxing. While the networks have given us only disappointment over the past decade, ESPN s fight coverage has grown in coverage and quality. With their Wednesday Night and Friday Night Fight series , ESPN offers a weekly outlet for our indulgences. Now, with the addition of The Contender later this month, the cable sports network is upping its ante by investing more time each week to the sport. And I won t even go into the daily telecasts of past bouts on ESPN Classic many of those classic battles speak for themselves. Looking to the future, I dread the day when Sportscenter will lead its nightly program with a report on the outcome of a UFC title fight. Call me a snob if you will, but it just doesn t seem right. Boxing has given too much to too many over the years to just be thrown along the wayside in exchange for the latest fad. Quite frankly, I am already a little disappointed with Sportscenter s lack of boxing coverage. If the program served as your only outlet for sporting news, you d be under the impression that only three or four boxing matches occurred each year. Thank God for Stephen A. Smith who features at least one boxing-related topic on his show per week. Entertaining fights occur each month, often times, on Friday Night Fights. So why not take three minutes out of the occasional Sportscenter broadcast to discuss an up-and-coming welterweight contender? Or maybe an aging champion who s finally hanging up his gloves? The answer is beyond me. Despite my few minor grievances, I must reiterate that I am grateful for the network s boxing programming. And even with the lack of coverage on its flagship program, I recognize that ESPN is professional boxing s last line of defense against the ongoing threat of the UFC. So in closing, if anyone at ESPN reads this article, I really only wish to say two things: Thank you and please do not let millions of fight fans down. After all, the sound of Friday Night Ultimate Fighting just doesn t pack the same punch as good ol Friday Night Fights.