They look monstrous inside the ring; but outside the ring, boxers are among the first to provide help in times of need.
Andre Ward photo by Laura De La Torre
You know, it’s not always fun having to point out the flaws and knocking fighters off their pedestals. Okay, some times it is fun. REALLY fun. But not always. And I promised the staff that every once in a while I would write about something positive.
That’s not always easy to do. There’s a lot with boxing that needs to be fixed. Promoters are corrupt, sanctioning bodies are unscrupulous, and some fighters wind up on the wrong side of the law. But that’s not why finding something positive is hard to do. It’s because positive actions are the norm in boxing. Let’s call a spade a spade…
OUTSIDE THE RING, THE MAJORITY OF BOXERS ARE UPSTANDING CITIZENS AND ROLE MODELS.
Two examples were born of the tragedy and destruction brought about by Typhoon Ondoy, the massive storm which struck the island nation of the Philippines near the end of last month. As of the beginning of October, the death toll was at 280 and still rising. Help has been coming in from all parts of the world. Clothing donations, food, money, blood drives, all sprang up in the wake of the devastation.
WBA interim super flyweight champion Nonito Donaire Jr. could have done what everyone else did: donated some clothes, write off a check for a few bucks. Instead, Donaire insisted on doing more for his fans and countrymen. The champion, who makes his home in San Leandro, California, but has been residing in the Philippines in his off-time as a contestant on the Filipino celeb-reality show “Celebrity Duets,” received a gift of one million pesos (approximately US$21,500) from Philippine president Gloria Arroyo. The money was a gift for Donaire’s win against Rafael Concepcion in August; Donaire has insisted that the money instead be used to rebuild homes in areas struck by Ondoy.
In another part of the storm-beaten nation, Manny Pacquiao had set up training camp in Baguio City. He had also donated 1 million pesos to the relief effort, but decided it wasn’t enough. Arguably one of the toughest challenges in his career in a little over five weeks awaits Pacquiao in Las Vegas, but even with the threat of welterweight champion Miguel Cotto in front of him and against the united advice of both trainer Freddie Roach and sleazeball advisor Michael Koncz, Pacquiao donated himself. He traveled from Baguio City to Manila despite the threat of the approaching Typhoon Pepeng to donate his time and help distribute relief goods to those in need.
Back stateside, if you’re one of the Super Six super middleweights, your schedule is pretty well booked for the next year and a half. But that doesn’t stop Andre Ward from helping man’s best friend.
“I love dogs,” said Andre Ward of his partnership and volunteer work with Knock Out Dog Fighting, a division of For Pits’ Sake, a non-profit program dedicated to preventing animal cruelty and abuse, including dog fighting. “To fight and abuse dogs is wrong and I look forward to helping in stopping this growing problem.”
Ward, set to take on Mikkel Kessler in his first Super Six bout, said that he wants “use the platform I have been given to bring awareness and knowledge to all who will listen about the cruelties of dog fighting. In addition, I want to educate people about dogs, how to treat them, love them, and care for them as well as the impact that dog fighting has on both the animals and those who participate in dog fighting.”
“Dog fighting takes place in every state and it cuts across all races and income levels,” said Kris Crawford, a representative of For Pits’ Sake. “Andre has the ability to get our message heard and in doing so he is saving lives, both human and animal.”
So the next time you hear someone commenting on how boxers are brutes and have no conscience, please beg to differ. Even Floyd Mayweather, in a rare moment of low-key humility, volunteers his time and money to help the homeless in Las Vegas. I don’t think anyone, even someone as cynical as myself, can refuse to stand up and applaud that.
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For more information or to make a donation to Typhoon Ondoy victims, please log on to http://www.redcross.org.ph/Site/PNRC/wtd.aspx, the official website of the Philippine Red Cross.
For more information or to find ways to volunteer or donate to For Pits’ Sake, please log on to http://www.forpitssake.org, the charity’s official website.
