IN a sport dating back to Ancient Greece, boxing must keep evolving to meet modern demands.
Now, Joe Joyce’s mother, Marvel Opara, who is registered as 93 per cent blind, has called for the boxing hierarchy to consider improving the product for those who cannot see it, requesting more attention on the audio description for events.
Joe Joyce, 16-3 (15 KOs), has endured a catastrophic two-year period, going from the verge of a heavyweight world title shot to the precipice of retirement, losing three of his last four contests and failing to impress in that lone victory.
This Saturday night, ‘The Juggernaut’ is poised for a last gasp attempt at resurgence, taking on former amateur conquest Filip Hrgovic, 17-1 (14 KOs), in the headline attraction at the Co-op Live Arena, in a must-win clash to save his career and retain any hopes of returning to his form of old.
Wishing she could witness her son prove his doubters wrong first-hand, Opara has now spoken out on her difficulties attending fight nights. She admitted to Sky Sports that she currently finds herself reacting to the audience rather than fully understanding what is happening in the ring.
“I would like it if they would have audio description in boxing, properly, so that I would be able to follow on with everybody else, instead of reacting to the audience or my son. “I always say to my son, Torann – Joe’s brother -‘How’s Joe, will he be alright?’ He always says ‘yeah, yeah’, he will never say no.
“I can’t really tell from him whether he [Joe] is doing alright or not, he will just say yes. Then I will hear ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ and I will think ‘oh god, is that my son or is it the other person’.
“If I am sitting ringside, I can hear the exchanges and I feel like it is going through my body. I feel like I am in the fight as well. Sometimes, I want to get up and get into the ring and [tell Joyce’s opponent] to get off my son!”
At present, there are limited options for visually impaired attendees at boxing events, although options such as miniaturised radio sets, akin to those often worn by cricket spectators, could be one avenue to explore.
A device named ‘Field of Vision’, a braille pitch in layman’s terms, is one advancement that is successfully assisting football fans in following a match. Similar technology could possibly be created to emulate the action in a boxing ring.
For now, at least, Opara will have to make do with the roars and gasps of the Manchester crowd as Joe Joyce goes toe-to-toe with Hrgovic in a career-defining main event this weekend.
