Yes, it was a scrappy fight. But what some people miss is that boxing ain't ballet. There's no prize for the prettiest fighter. If you get more good hits than the other guy or knock the other guy out, you win, that's that.
Saying, "sure he won but he isn't a good boxer, look at his technique" would be like me entering a deadlift competition with Konsantinov, I pull 130 and he pulls 430, and I say, "yeah but his back rounded, what a joke."
That'd be a wank, because at the end of the day what matters is the weight pulled. Likewise, in a boxing match, all that matters is points scored, or knockout achieved.
The reason people aren't interested in boxing is the same reason people aren't interested in powerlifting - having a heap of rival federations with different rules makes things hopelessly muddled. But of course if you had one federation then you could only have one President. It's the egos of the top guys in the federations that have diminished these sports, not the general public, still less whether someone rounds his back while lifting or is a scrappy fighter.
I can see what you are trying to say Kyle, but that analogy doesn't fit here.
If yours were correct you would be saying woods is an Excellent fighter but maybe keeps his front hand low and mundine is text book perfect except for his punching power.
This is not what I am saying at all.
It is legitimate to say he won but isn't a good boxer. Plenty of fighters have that one punch they cling to as their success, but nothing else ever really lived up to that level. It's called a lucky punch.
Boxing is the sweet science for a reason. There is a lot of grace within the movements that make a great boxer. Your use of "prettiest" doesn't fit right here. I think you are trying to say the one with the more graceful movements, better form, timing and spacial awareness - i.e. ballet. If I am wrong, I am sorry, but that's how it reads. If this is the case, then this often leads to the fighter winning.
We all know brawlers and mugs can gain some success in the ring, that's part of boxing, but the true greats are often the "prettiest" fighters. Look at ali, look at fraser, lewis, chavez, marquez, pacquiao. Hell, even tyson had great movement, it wasn't just his brutal force.
Mundine had the record and skill set to take on better fighters. Woods is a mug fighter and deserves to be an unknown. He should have ended his career as an amateur with a bad record. But that's the beauty of life right?
Mundine is still a better class of fighter than woods. But this argument is starting to make me look like a mundine fan, once again I am not.
I hope woods milks this for everything its worth and gets something bigger out of it. I can't see him being a staying force or one of the greats. If he gets a bigger fight out of this, that could very well be where it ends.
The different federations are an issue, but I would say its also got a lot to do with the media coverage and stigma that got attached to boxing over the years.
e.g. the UK used to be a breeding ground for world class fighters. The greatest american fighters would have to prove themselves to the world by travelling over the pond and taking on one of the poms or irish etc.
Now, their competition is lacking as much as the americans (not quite as much as australia). Why? look at the junior and amateur levels. The UK used to have boxing as part of P.E. and sport in schools. Then people claimed it was bad for their young without any scientific or medical support.
The americans are still hanging on thanks to their mexican immigrants.
Having people like don king forcing that last fight on Ali didn't help as people started to think EVERY boxer gets punch drunk or brain damaged from one sparring session.
I don't think the federation point really stands when the fighters in different federations can still fight each other. The welterweight division is as strong as the heavyweights used to be in the 70s and 80s. The biggest names are fighting the biggest names (except mayweather and pacquiao). I think Australia tends to be a bit of a bad loser and spoilt child when it comes to sport, so since there isn't an unbeatable Aussie in all the ranks, they don't really care? I could be wrong. But it is a crime considering our talent that is out there (similar to power lifting).
anyway I'm starting to go off on a tangent.
I'm now adding to the continual carry-on about this fight so I won't post again about it.
My final words will be that the fight shouldn't have existed, woods is a trailer park fighter and Mundine mouths off just for media attention. If anything Mundine should have fought junior and that should have been the end.
It was a disgrace to boxing. I hope that MAYBE a few more people will start to follow boxing now as it is arguably the greatest sport and fights like Katsidis and Darchinyan deserve our support. That could be the only positive to come out of this.