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Philippines, 16 Apr 2024 |
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THE BWAA IS WRONG IN SELECTING MAYWEATHER AS ITS FIGHTER OF THE YEAR By Reni M. Valenzuela PhilBoxing.com Wed, 29 Jan 2014  Sugar Ray Robinson must be grieving somewhere in the great beyond because his name is being used in giving out the award. The Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) has chosen and finally reveals that Floyd ?Money? Mayweather is its ?Fighter of the Year? for 2013. The members are in unison declaring the pound-for-pound ?number one? as the best. Cheers! Their consensus on the matter mirrors a lot of odd things in contemporary boxing. And it sends the people a serious message with a serious question. Is boxing totally bereft of any value and sense these days? Call boxing a circus or racket, but never refer to it as ?business first before a sport? for there is no such thing, unless the ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians, along with Robinson, Henry Armstrong and Muhammad Ali, unanimously decide to categorize it as the former. Awards aren?t supposed to be blind and politicized. But where have the cerebrums gone for some of those who have the voice to be ?counted? in boxing? It has been said that the main purpose of giving an award is to honor a particular person/s extraordinarily good at something in order to encourage him to continue being good at the same worthy level of recognition, and to stand as an example to others. THEREFORE: By choosing Money as the ?Fighter of the Year,? it?s like the sport is egging him to continue being more of a spoiled brat, actor and businessman in boxing than a fighter; continue coming up with cherry picked fights to ensure victory; continue with his endless excuses to duck toughest opponents or matchups at a time when they matter ; continue exhibiting ?special? abilities in safe vaudeville to fascinate ?masters?; continue with his offending antics, racism, rudeness and divisiveness; continue trashing championship belts and titles as easy as spewing out a chewing gum in exchange for silver and gold, and to be awarded ?Fighter of the Year.? Conferring the 2013 ?Fighter of the Year? honor to Mayweather is equal to pressing him to continue ruling the sport with his impudence and despotic tendencies; continue abominating sanctioning authorities; continue maligning and taunting fellow boxers he avoids and fears; continue spurning reason and decency; continue ignoring and defying popular outcries; continue duping or ?serving? innocent fans and bystanders; continue taking the public and media for a ride. Floyd as ?Fighter of the Year? is no joke. It is parallel to telling him to continue using boxing and people as lucrative business enterprise; continue amassing millions of dum-dum dollars for himself and his minions out of the people?s hard earned bread - and, oh, all at the expense of the people and the supposedly sane, living sport. How pathetic. Where, indeed, have the cerebrums gone for boxing? The process of granting awards is supposedly free from bias, idiocy and the machination of crooks. Has anybody heard of an NBA team which became a champion by cherry picking teams to compete with in the eliminations, semis and finals? It is horrific that zombies appear to govern boxing nowadays together with their ?prizefighter? whom they unanimously agree as the ?finest? on the planet. Mayweather being the ?Fighter of the Year? means urging other boxers and the rest of us outside the ring to be as ?great? and ?admirable? as him whom the celestial creatures and the world so repulse. Actors are for the big screen. They are not fighters. The Oscar, Emmy and Golden Globe should be the bodies (not boxing ?experts? and associations) to decide who among Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks, Marlon Brando and Anthony Quinn is the best? Funny, boxing is a combat sport, not acting. The sport should stick to its own peculiar requirements in choosing the best, unless it decides to create a trophy or belt for Best Actor. Money May should instead be a top contender in the Department of Commerce yearly awards by nullifying objectivity in prize fighting without butting an eyelash when he swore that everything boils down to business. Bestowing an award is never tantamount to sycophancy. The opposite is basically what comprises the tribute. Instead of making him proud, a trophy or medal humbles a truly deserving honoree to even further infuse illumination on people. Only the least qualified covets to be awarded. And they abound everywhere. Truth is, awards are no big deal for the rare breeds who are the most honorable. Make it your motivation to win an award and you?ll be lost alone bewildered in clefts or peaks. An accolade is an incidental thing to the noble and humble whose consuming desire is to follow his passions in line with his life?s purpose untainted by obsessions centered on self. Awarding a person is much unlike awarding a product wherein you can banner the plum cup. You cannot receive an award and be boastful about it. A highly commendable person doesn?t need awards; and he doesn?t have to have any of them for him to render his best and be at his best. Genuinely great men and women are larger than life who are not concerned about award and commendation as much as they allow not mockery, intimidation and scourging to affect them. They are brave enough to confront their fears and beat their ego. Thus an award is intended primarily to be an outlet for people to express their appreciation to an individual or individuals who enkindled their spirit and brought massive positive impact on their lives along with those of others as far as the ripples and glitters can reach. It is in this light that an honoree becomes deeply grateful and considers the decoration as meaningful. Being made aware that he has served others is reward enough to bring him unspeakable joy regardless of the sacrifices. He is fulfilled knowing that he has empowered seekers of life to rise above limitations and failures. A truly honorable man is happiest to bless those unable to return the favor. He has a heart for the beleaguered but doesn?t feel for the abusive and obstinate. Awards set standards for people to emulate and follow by exalting praiseworthy achievers as models and inspiration. Awards are meant to be eye-opening to challenge other human beings to be equally and laudably good. Take heed of what is upright, truthful and prudent because the aforementioned requirements are the unwritten but irrefutable underlying laws and principles in giving out awards. Alas, ?experts? have just extolled a ?god? who seems to embody everything ironic about boxing. How can the people ever be out of the woods if the Davids in the sport are sightless to pick up the stones to use in defeating the Goliaths? This is the current state of boxing. And this is how wretched it has become. ?Sweet Science? indeed, and sweet ignominy. By having declared a graven image as the ?Fighter of the Year,? the sport is about ready to self-destruct on the strength of the act?s contravening repercussion and backlash. The ones responsible for it have unwittingly put up an altar of concrete arguments similar to the Old Testament Golden Calf. Idol worshipers have aroused and awakened the people to detest the detestable by admitting boxing as being clinically lifeless, helpless and hopeless in the Intensive Care Unit; and for them to start clamoring for its discharge and entombment. Except the apostates repent, the people shall be as steadfast being democratically omnipotent and sovereign to rectify the wrong and mend the broken. Congratulations, Floyd, you are no doubt the face of boxing today as you rightfully claim. And you have made us all the planet?s biggest fools befitting of a unique citation called ?THINKING JERKS OF THE YEAR.? Kudos! Life can?t be any different from who you are. It?s what you see in the mirror. Face it. renimvalenzuela@yaho.com Click here to view a list of other articles written by Reni M. Valenzuela.  |
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