WHY DID ENGLISH TV SNUB JOSH TAYLOR MAKING BOIXNG HISTORY?
Last weekend in Las Vegas, Scottish boxer Josh Taylor outpointed Mexican Jose Ramirez, knocking him down in the sixth and seventh rounds, to win a unanimous points victory. In doing so, he claimed the WBC & WBO light welterweight titles, to add to his WBA & WBO titles to become only the fifth male boxer in history to hold all four titles in his division. However, this monumental achievement in boxing history was not shown on any UK tv networks and was barely advertised or hyped even though he has achieved a feat no other British boxer has in the history of the sport.
There have been many unified, undisputed world champions in boxings illustrious history, holding two or three belts over the years. But naturally, as the the sport got bigger, with more governing bodies and more belts, it has become increasingly harder to become a unified four belt world champion.
The WBO came into existence in 1988. However, it wasn’t fully recognised as a major world title until 2004. But even when it was not recognised, Bernard Hopkins was the only boxer to hold all four belts before 2004.
In the now 16 years since the WBO was officially recognised, Josh Taylor becomes only the fourth in that time to hold all four belts. Although it comes in the light welterweight division, which Terence Crawford had done previously. The magnitude of this achievement in just 18 professional fights, can not be overlooked.
However, this is exactly what UK tv media has done. To think, in a nation where boxing is booming with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom and Frank Warren’s Queensbury promotions, who also founded BoxNation tv, a channel exclusively dedicated to showing boxing. No UK tv station bothered to show boxing history being made to the British public. Instead we had to find the fight on FITE TV, a streaming channel that was showing the fight for £10.
In contrast, Sky Sports have picked up the Floyd Mayweather vs Jake Paul fight, which is not even a real fight. Don’t get me wrong, I am not one of these people who hates on everything Floyd does and is calling his exhibition fights a mockery of boxing. I actually think its a pretty smart way to make money. Also, for a man known as “Money” Mayweather, how can you be mad at him for trying to make easy money?
I also do not share the same thoughts of Floyd devaluing boxing, after all, he is retired and clearly has stated these are exhibition fights. Furthermore, if you don’t like it, you don’t have to watch it or pay it any mind. However, the problem is, the British media, who obviously, for money reasons. got the Floyd fight due to both men’s immense popularity and decided not show Scotland’s Josh Taylor making genuine boxing history. That’s a mockery and devaluing boxing in my book.
Josh Taylor is the first Scot to be an undisputed world champion since Ken Buchanan in 1971, who won the WBC lightweight title to add to his WBA title in Los Angeles.
Naturally, budding young British boxers would have loved to have witnessed history on British tv. However, the question has to be asked, would these tv networks have snubbed him if he was an English boxer trying to make boxing history?
We have seen the kind of tv coverage, build up and promotion English boxers have been given, so did his nationality really play a part in this decision? I mean, the fight was huge in Mexico and it was staged in USA with live coverage there, so why not in Britain?
Again, questions have to be asked. It has always been a pet peeve of mine with British journalism and how they report things, especially reporting on black British people. If they did good, there were British, if they did something wrong, they are just black. Although many would like to argue against it, racism and prejudice is rife in England.
But is it so rife that they would even snub their neighbour and fellow Brit in making history in one of the biggest and most popular sports in the world? We all know England and Scotland has always had a fierce rivalry, but they both still come under the British banner, although Josh Taylor proudly reps the Scottish flag.
Or is it because Josh Taylor is currently signed to MTK Global? A boxing and MMA management company who have several high profile fighters on their books. They were founded in Ireland by former boxer Mathew Macklin and what has been reported as a notorious gang boss, who has a shady history of alleged drugs dealing, shootings, murder, extortion and links to other gangland figures. MTK has also been the subject of a Panorama documentary about its gang and crime connections, and maybe the British networks wanted to steer clear and not work with or feed that connection any money?
Or am I just looking too much into this? Moving swiftly on. British boxing has taken a dip in recent years. At its most recent height in 2016, Britain had 13 male world champions.
However, five years later, Britain have five with Sunny Edwards and Lawrence Okolie picking up world titles in just the last few months. In women’s boxing, Britain currently have three British women who hold versions of the world title. This is in addition to Katie Taylor, who technically represents Ireland and is only the third of four women in history to become an undisputed, unified division champion.
So you would have expected, for Britain, who are not exactly overrun with current world champions. It would have been great for British boxing to broadcast one of their boxers making history, by winning all the belts in his division in just 18 fights.
Although heavyweight is the marquee division, and the interest of British heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury seem to be holding the attention and influence in the sport, they are not the only big shots in the sport. British world champions of the past have proved interest and influence is not just about the heavyweight division.
Every little helps and I have no doubt, whether you are English, Scottish, Irish or Welsh, an achievement of becoming just the fifth male unified champion in the sport of boxing is something to be proud of as a Brit and should be celebrated. Its an achievement that should have been documented and shown live. It’s obvious motivation for young British boxers. But what do I know? I am just a boxing fan who likes to watch good fights and witness rare history live…..Without having to struggle and illegally stream it …
