The Fight… which still isn’t actually anything of a fight right now, instead just a series of spats and flirtations played out in Nevada courtrooms, through Oscar De La Hoya’s self-congratulatory Twitter feed and the imaginations of the poor, neglected boxing fans who tut and mutter their oft-repeated words of contempt and frustration. From drug testing to retirements, personal feuds to legal squabbles, the clash of boxing’s finest prima donas is currently being held up by the horrific cut suffered by Manny Pacquiao in his most recent November outing, a cut so horrible and shocking that it went largely undetected by most viewers. In their most recent attempt to compellingly recreate the type of argument often played out by pre-pubescent children, Bob Arum politely observed that Floyd “Money” Mayweather brings no business to Las Vegas, while Oscar De La Hoya – ?bringing the fights to the fans’ until Golden Boy fighters lose when they’re not supposed to – has returned to his position as the self-elected authority on ?what’s wrong with boxing.’ One can only imagine the collective frustration of Messrs Du Boeuf and Schaefer as their bosses continue to fan the flames of a squabble far more suited to the playground than the world of elite sport. As with many of boxing’s most infamous promotional battles, the juxtaposition between the work of the sport’s competitors and the engagements of its politicians remains stark and arresting.
