MUCH LIKE any society, but especially one of an archaic nature, boxing offers a deeply flawed and morally unjust system, designed to keep the majority of fighters on an endless treadmill of pain and uncertainty.
With only a slither of scope for economic mobility, each combatant – or at least, those without a lucrative promotional contract or natural mainstream appeal – is expected to trudge down a treacherous path, hoping to somehow reach the Promised Land of their craft.
An apt example of this arrived last Saturday, when Abass Baraou – a fighter who, not so long ago, had found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place – emerged with a mightily impressive victory over Yoenis Tellez.
Acknowledging that nothing will ever be handed to him on a silver platter, the German chose to roll the dice against super-welterweight contender who, prior to their encounter, was heavily tipped for world championship glory.
It was, in that sense, a sink-or-swim situation for Baraou. Lose, and he would likely fade deeper into obscurity, but win, and any future opportunities – both financial and career-defining – would be greatly enhanced.
It was not so long ago, either, that Baraou, much like the majority of fighters in his position, was perhaps fighting for little more than two beans to rub together.
Sure, the 30-year-old had amassed several high-profile wins – most notably against the likes of Sam Eggington and Macaulay McGowan – but still, it is fair to assume that the monster paydays were not exactly coming in thick and fast.
Against Tellez, then, there was more than just an incentive to claim the WBA ‘interim’ title at 154lbs.
For Baraou, a carrot of career-high paydays and legacy-enhancing fights was dangled in front of him, shining bright enough to unlock a truly remarkable degree of tenacity.
That dogged approach was then only reflected in his performance, which saw Baraou – an industrious operator, refusing to be denied – pull off a sizable upset and, in turn, climb up boxing’s social ladder.
An outpouring of emotion then followed shortly after his victory, signalling that Baraou – previously with his back against the wall; forced to take risks – had put every inch of his heart and soul into that one night’s work.
It is perhaps a wild instance of poetic irony, meanwhile, that, several days before Baraou got his hand raised, it was announced that Gervonta Davis will face Jake Paul in a ludicrously unapologetic money-making exercise.
Even before their exhibition was confirmed, Davis, 30-0-1 (28 KOs), was beginning to display all the traits of a boxer who, to put it mildly, had lost practically any shred of ambition that previously existed.
No longer needing to smash down doors, while ferociously fighting to put food on his family’s table, the Baltimore man seemed totally uninterested in his sport, but perfectly happy to still squeeze money out of it.
As a result, ‘Tank’ escaped with a highly-contentious draw against Lamont Roach Jr earlier this year, before swerving their immediate rematch and, instead, opting to take the far more luxurious, and indeed low-risk, option against Paul.
In other words, Davis has reached a desirable state of affairs where, rather than risking his unbeaten record in an audacious title defence, he can instead make more money from what is, quite simply, a Mickey Mouse event.
But boxing, of course, will always allow such nonsensical occasions to take place. Why? Because there is no one, or nothing, to say otherwise.
All the while, fighters like Baraou will continue to turn in sensational performances, hoping to one day reach a level of status that is even remotely comparable to that of Davis.
