Mismatches Have Serious Consequences: Golden Gloves Champ versus 3-12 Fighter By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Correspondent New York, NY (June 16th, 2013)–Some matchmakers should get a medal. Others have serious issues. A boxing writer does not have to see the actual bout to see the handwriting on the wall. Who in their right mind would put the 2001 New York Golden Gloves champion in with a 3-12 fighter who lost his first seven professional bouts and had been knocked out in the first round several times previously?
The New York State Athletic Commission needs to be more careful in sanctioning matches whereby a fighter has changed weight classes to lethal effect, which in some cases can have serious consequences. The match in the bout in question was not made in heaven, it was made in hell. Such was the case in the so-called ‘main event’ of a six bout card at Five Starr Banquet in Long Island City Queens, New York, on Friday, June 14, 2013, whereby 2001 New York Golden Gloves Heavyweight champion Newton Kidd of Bronx, New York, who usually fights between 182 and 199 pounds cruiserweight, went down to a magnificent 171 pounds to fight 3-12 journeyman Borngod Washington of Queens, New York. Perhaps Washington came cheap for the price. In any case, whosever sense of humor decided to put a 3-12 damaged goods fighter into a main event against a former Golden Gloves heavyweight champion needs to sit down and do some serious soul searching as to whether such matches as this one do damage to the credibility of boxing in the New York City area. We all know the outcome.
Under the best of circumstances, things go wrong. On the same night as the Long Island City card, the World Boxing Council Female World Super Featherweight champion Frida Wallberg, unbeaten and ranked number one of the world in her weight class on the Boxrec, got knocked out in the eighth round of her world title defense, rushed to the hospital in Stockholm, Sweden, and underwent emergency brain surgery for a cerebral hemorrhage and brain stroke. Wallberg remains in a medically induced coma, her boxing career over, her precious life hanging in the balance. Lucky for Wallberg the trainer in her opponent’s corner, Lucia Rijker, demanded the inexperienced ring physician come back to the ring and call an ambulance, sensing trouble, stayed with Wallberg, and helped saved Wallberg’s life. Other wise Wallberg might have died. She is in critical condition, prognosis unknown. End of the Wallberg-Prazak Bout
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NFzdfczUEI
In the shadow of the above event on the other side of the world, Newton Kidd butchered Borngod Washington and finished him in the first round. It is not the outcome which is of significant, that is the effect. it is the cause which is of great concern. Matches like Kidd versus Washington should never be made in the first place. While Kidd’s record, 8-8-2 with five knockouts, may not seem very impressive, it is deceiving, for he has a good quality of opponents and decent quality of result. Newton Kidd can fight. Kidd will fight even stronger in a lower weight class. Putting Kidd in with a 3-12 fighter at a lower weight is in reality not an experiment with an outcome a promoter really wants to have in a main event.
Area light heavyweight prospect Ronson Frank, whose Uprising Promotion put together the card in Queens, New York, with Newton Kidd and Borngod Washington this past weekend, hear my cry. A boxing writer does not write a ‘terrible’ story when he or she tells the truth. A boxing writer simply tells the truth. Uprising Promotion, as Ronson Frank will confirm for, has on its web homepage this motto: ‘Our mission is to grow interest in the sport of boxing in New York City by showcasing entertaining and evenly matched fights’. Does Ronson Frank and company have any answer as to how as former New York Golden Gloves heavyweight champion was allowed to drop 28 pounds and appear in his main event against a 2-12.
One well known matchmaker, when contacted about this so-called ‘even match up’ stated in the first round ‘Borngod Washington was going to get killed’. And so the prophecy occurred, in Long Island City, right on cue. But it should not have happened in the first place, and blaming the matchmaker or the New York State Athletic Commission is not enough. As far as match ups go,t his one was pure insanity, and it is not a terrible thing to tell it like was, the god’s honest truth, to protect the safety of fighters in the future this was a good example of what not to put in a boxing ring.
When I wrote the last time Ronson fought and stopped Sharif Kemp in the second round as a bad match up, and Ronson some step up fights, I was not kidding. Kemp, an 8-6 fighter with a padded record, had not beaten a fighter with a winning record in over six years. If Ronson had thrown any serious punches, Kemp would have been seriously hurt. Referee Pete Santiago looked for any excuse to stop Ronson’s bout, and Santiago was right to stop it when he did and not take any chances, knowing what would happen if Ronson decided to unleash on the helpless Kemp.
As a light heavyweight who has never been beaten, Ronson Frank, knows the division well. Ronsons come from a family of fighters. His brother Raul Frank fought the late Vernon Forrest for the vacant IBF World Welterweight title twice in 2000 and 2001. He did not win either of those fights, just like he did not win either of his fights against Michael Benjamin in Guyana. Likewise it must have hurt when Ronson’s brother Steve ‘Lion Heart’ Frank got knocked out in 24 seconds of his IBF world middleweight title bout against Bernard Hopkins in 1996. For the record, that bout was a mismatch Steve was a last minute substitute for Joe Lipsey, and Steve should never have been put in with Hopkins to begin with
. It’s doubtful any of the other area sports writers out there would know the boxing history of the Frank family. And at age 35 after two years idle, the clock is ticking for Ronson Frank. The key to understanding where Newton Kidd versus Borngod Washington went wrong lies in the career of the former World Light Heavyweight champion Bob Foster. Trying to fight heavyweights, Foster lost to Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Dou Jones, Ernie Terrell, Mauro Mina, and Zora Folley. By going down to light heavyweight, Foster’s power was downright phenomenal.
Witness the difference in Bob Foster versus Mike Quarry http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQgA41C3fCs
Given that type of understanding, just how did it happen that a former New York Golden Gloves heavyweight gets 28 pounds less than his highest fight weight to fight light heavyweight, and then he’s going to get the chance to experiment against a 3-13 fighter in an actual main event? It simply doesn’t make any sense. It shouldn’t have happened in the first place. That’s the truth. In reality, the truth is never terrible, because the truth sets you free, and as a boxing writer I am a free man. Borngod Washington could have gotten killed or seriously hurt, and that’s the truth. Read everything I say here, Ronson Frank, and I think you’ll agree.
Some promoters define ‘terrible’ as when a sports writer writes a story they don’t want to hear. But the truth in boxing, as with other professional sports, cannot be sugar coated. If a match up is wrong, I say so. If the facts paint a portrait other than what a promoter wants to hear, that’s the way it is. We learn and grow from these truths, not sweep them under the rug. Responsible journalists don’t write what a promoter wants to hear, especially when safety issues are at stake.
Responsible journalists tell the truth so safety in sports can be addressed, and facts can be better understood from a unique perspective, while maintaining a sunshine aura of honesty and integrity. The facts in this story are in black and white, and I’ve painted a portrait.
Add us to your circle on GOOGLE PLUS Real Combat Media
DONATE TO THE VICTIMS OF HURRICANE SANDY:www.redcross.org/donate
HELP STOP WORLD HUNGER:www.realcombatmedia.com/rcm-stop-world-hunger
LEARN HOW TO FIGHT, WORKOUT & IMPROVE ENDURANCE: RCM MMA & BOXING STORE
We are always looking for new talent for the fastest growing US and UK based, Combat website. We have openings for the following positions – Internet Sales Advertising, Boxing Correspondents, MMA Correspondents and voluntary Radio Correspondents.
If you are a career minded individual and serious about starting a career or continuing your career in combat journalism, our contacts are below
There are also plenty of advertising and sponsorship opportunities available on our website and radio programs to help grow your business. Contact us at [email protected].
RCM Main contact: [email protected] RCM UK & Ireland contact: [email protected] RCM Greece contact: [email protected] RCM Radio contact: [email protected] RCM Radio contact: [email protected] RCM MMA contact: [email protected] RCM UK Advertising contact: [email protected] RCM MMA Advertising contact: [email protected]
COMMENTS
English