A strange article about Audley

Alright?

I came across a grandly titled article earlier on Yahoo (by James Garner a.k.a. The Pugilist) and found it rather interesting. Interesting enough to copy and paste for your delectation.

See what you think:

Farewell to Audley Harrison: The man who inspired a generation

Twelve years after clinching Olympic gold in memorable fashion, this is surely the end for Audley Harrison. As a last stand, Audley mustered just 82 seconds of action before succumbing to the onslaught of David Price.

Aged 40, and after two decisive defeats to Davids Haye and Price, it is hard to see how the British Board could justify a decision to keep sanctioning Harrison's fistic exploits.

David Price is now the heir apparent of British heavyweight boxing, an impressive distinction given the stiff competition offered by Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.

It remains to be seen if Price will cynically wait for the Klitschko brothers to retire, but it is hard to envisage a future in which he does not eventually contest the world heavyweight title. He deserves any success which comes his way.

All the same, whilst his victory might serve as a chapter in the David Price story, it is more significant as the final chapter in the Audley Harrison story.

Harrison will be remembered as a failure - but what a failure! He tried to bring boxing back to the people by negotiating a deal with the BBC - it didn't last. He tried to control his own destiny by establishing A-Force promotions - it didn't work out. He tried to win the WBA Heavyweight title aged 38, against by far the toughest opponent he had ever faced, with a lingering shoulder injury - and he lost.

Even after that humiliating defeat to Haye, when a baying mob 20,000 strong booed him out of the MEN Arena - even then Harrison would not quit.

He dusted himself off, waited for his injuries to recede, and got back into training. After a warm-up fight against Ali Adams, Harrison signed to fight Price, the British heavyweight champion and a feared prospect. This is the very opposite of cowardice, of which Harrison is often accused.

Even in the match against Haye, a damp-squib farce which infuriated hundreds of thousands of pay-per-view subscribers, Harrison, having been knocked down after taking serious punishment, got to his feet to beat the count, only for the referee to stop the fight after a brief restart - a piece of officiating which Harrison later protested was premature. It wasn't, but Audley's fighting spirit is beyond reproach.

With Harrison losing this fight and Vitali Klitschko on the brink of retirement, an era of heavyweight boxing is coming to a close. Given that no single fighter has dominated, this is perhaps best described as the post-Lennox Lewis era.

When Lewis retired in 2003, he neglected to complete his duty as a heavyweight champion, breaking the title lineage like Rocky Marciano before him. The heavyweight division has not been the same since.

Heavyweight boxing was in the doldrums after Marciano retired, and didn't really recover until Cassius Clay burst onto the scene and challenged champion-by-default Sonny Liston.

The man we now call Ali had aspirations beyond the ring, and was able to take the heavyweight title to new heights. Ali's idealistic zeal meant that he was more than just a fighter, and whilst it would be laughable to compare their boxing records, the same was true of Audley Harrison.

A slogan for the 2012 London Olympics promised to "inspire a generation". It is no coincidence that the last British gold of the games came from Joshua in the men's super-heavyweight boxing, the same event which Harrison blitzed in Sydney. Indeed, the rude health of British heavyweight boxing today can be traced back to Harrison's maverick example, and the trail he blazed at a time when British amateur boxing was woefully underfunded. And he didn't stop fighting for young boxers once the medal was around his neck: this is a man whose protests on behalf of amateur boxing were instrumental in securing lottery funding for the sport. Every British fighter who has started his career via the Olympics since owes Harrison a debt of gratitude.

Despite the groundswell of young British talent, it is hard to see a potential saviour of heavyweight boxing on the horizon, a fighter with enough talent and charisma to restore the title to its former glories. There is not enough of Ali in the dull Price, the thuggish Haye or the clownish Fury. These are common-or-garden pugs and little more.

Above all, the problem is that the heavyweight title has lost its lustre as sport's richest prize because America no longer takes it seriously. US big men prefer to ply their trade in the NFL or NBA, where even the bench-warmers can earn millions. To put it into context, Deontay Wilder, the best American amateur of recent years, acted as a sparring partner for Harrison in the training camp for the Price fight.

Increasingly, heavyweight boxing has become an arena for mercenaries rather than gladiators. Nobody could miss Haye's refusal to go out on his shield against Wladimir Klitschko, preferring to limp home to a points defeat and blame his little toe. Whilst it is difficult to criticise Haye's choice, if you remove the Corinthian spirit from the fight game, it is reduced to the cruel spectacle of legalised violence.

Counter-intuitively, in the blood-business that boxing has become, the very biggest fights are not happening. Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao make more money preserving their auras and beating weaker fighters rather than facing off; Lewis chose to retire rather than giving Vitali a richly-deserved rematch; the Klitschko brothers refuse to prove who the real champ is, preferring to preserve their familial bond. Whatever the excuses, if the best are no longer compelled to face the best, boxing is no longer a proper sport.

Whilst this does not provide an outright case for the outlawing of boxing, it certainly adds fuel to that fire. Perhaps Mike Tyson best articulated the case for the defence when he said; "This is a great sport. It can take men from humble beginnings and have them rub shoulders with royalty."

For all his failings, Tyson understood that it is the duty of a boxing champion to go out fighting, to lose the crown, and to confer legitimacy to his successor. Even after Lewis beat Evander Holyfield, many people refused to acknowledge him as champion until he had vanquished 'Iron Mike'. Tyson was nearly 15 years past his prime and had a good appreciation of his chances - slim to none - but he was still brave enough to give Lewis his laurels. The opportunity Tyson afforded Lewis was the same that an ageing Larry Holmes afforded Tyson, that an ageing Ali afforded Holmes, and which Lewis denied Vitali Klitschko.

In this new pragmatic era, an era marked by a cautiousness no doubt explained by the tragic state Ali fought himself into, boxing still has a wider function as a platform for aspiring politicians of humble origin, such as Pacquiao and Vitali Klitschko, and wannabe moguls like Mayweather and Haye. Nonetheless, something is being lost and perhaps Harrison, a pure-hearted man who only ever wanted the love of the crowd, is the last of a dying breed.

The future now lies with Price and the coming generation. All there is left for Harrison to do is to return to his well-appointed home in the City of Angels, spend time with his wife and children, polish his MBE and his Olympic gold medal, and wonder how it all went so horribly wrong.

- - -

By James Garner

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/the-pugilist/audley-harrison-man-inspired-generation-095120811.html

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Now, I'll be the first to admit that I know about as much about boxing as seanmichaels, but some of that article sounded like absolute rubbish to me. And even more rubbish than its Audley is the last of the fearless boxer-warrior rhetoric.

Here is what made me think The Pugilist might not be the best boxing journalist out there:

The Pugilist wrote:David Price is now the heir apparent of British heavyweight boxing, an impressive distinction given the stiff competition offered by Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.

Stiff competition from an amateur?

The Pugilist wrote:It remains to be seen if Price will cynically wait for the Klitschko brothers to retire

cynically is a bit strong, isn't it?

The Pugilist wrote:He tried to bring boxing back to the people by negotiating a deal with the BBC

I thought he did it for the money.

The Pugilist wrote:Harrison, having been knocked down after taking serious punishment, got to his feet to beat the count, only for the referee to stop the fight after a brief restart - a piece of officiating which Harrison later protested was premature. It wasn't, but Audley's fighting spirit is beyond reproach.

One punch thrown in three rounds? I think that puts Audley's fighting spirit somewhere near reproachable, all things considered.

The Pugilist wrote:With Harrison losing this fight and Vitali Klitschko on the brink of retirement, an era of heavyweight boxing is coming to a close.

Yeah, decades down the line people will look back on that watershed moment when Vitali and Audley both retired at about the same time.

The Pugilist wrote:Given that no single fighter has dominated, this is perhaps best described as the post-Lennox Lewis era.

There's another name we could give it... begins with a K... it's on the tip of my tongue... K...Kl... nope, it's gone. Sorry.

The Pugilist wrote:When Lewis retired in 2003, he neglected to complete his duty as a heavyweight champion, breaking the title lineage like Rocky Marciano before him.

What duty? The duty to fight on until they lost?

The Pugilist wrote:Ali's idealistic zeal meant that he was more than just a fighter, and whilst it would be laughable to compare their boxing records, the same was true of Audley Harrison.

With varying degrees of success, it should be noted.

The Pugilist wrote:It is no coincidence that the last British gold of the games came from Joshua in the men's super-heavyweight boxing, the same event which Harrison blitzed in Sydney.

It probably is.

The Pugilist wrote:if you remove the Corinthian spirit from the fight game, it is reduced to the cruel spectacle of legalised violence.

I don't think it is. The rules remain the same, hence if it was a sport before then it must still be one now.

The Pugilist wrote:Counter-intuitively, in the blood-business that boxing has become, the very biggest fights are not happening... Whatever the excuses, if the best are no longer compelled to face the best, boxing is no longer a proper sport.

In all fairness, he could have a point here. But the very next sentence...

The Pugilist wrote:Whilst this does not provide an outright case for the outlawing of boxing, it certainly adds fuel to that fire.

... is ridiculous! Outlawing boxing because of matches not being made? Where did that come from?

The Pugilist wrote:For all his failings, Tyson understood that it is the duty of a boxing champion to go out fighting, to lose the crown, and to confer legitimacy to his successor.

Ah, that fabled duty to lose again.

The Pugilist wrote:Even after Lewis beat Evander Holyfield, many people refused to acknowledge him as champion until he had vanquished 'Iron Mike'.

Is that right?

The Pugilist wrote:Tyson was nearly 15 years past his prime and had a good appreciation of his chances - slim to none - but he was still brave enough to give Lewis his laurels. The opportunity Tyson afforded Lewis was the same that an ageing Larry Holmes afforded Tyson, that an ageing Ali afforded Holmes, and which Lewis denied Vitali Klitschko.

Not exactly the same is it, considering Lewis is older then Tyson.

The Pugilist wrote:In this new pragmatic era, an era marked by a cautiousness no doubt explained by the tragic state Ali fought himself into,

No doubt explained by the state of Ali? No doubt whatsoever? Ok, I'll take your word for it.

The Pugilist wrote:Nonetheless, something is being lost and perhaps Harrison, a pure-hearted man who only ever wanted the love of the crowd, is the last of a dying breed.

Aye, perhaps. Perhaps more Last of the Summer Wine than Last of the Mohicans though.

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I don't make a habit of dissecting journalistic works, which is good, but something about this one compelled me to see what was really what.

Is there anything I missed?

Anywhere I was a little unfair?

Maybe I should be looking at other places than Yahoo for my boxing editorials. Apart from rowley, Tina, ozzy and 88chris on here, which websites and/or journalists would you recommend for good boxing articles?

And which boxing journalists do you think would be better served finding alternative employment?

Cheers.

I think Harrison probably wrote this mate if im honest.

I have no idea where the writer got his information from unless he sat and actually interviewed Audley and spoke to NOBODY else on earth.

Odd

Ayup, Il G.

Have to say I agree with your comments - this article has some serious holes in it! Particularly, as you say, this idea that all champions have a 'duty' to keep fighting until they eventually get beaten as an old man.

With regards to boxing 'writers' who should really consider a career switch, I point you in the direction of Scott Gilfoid! That man is a clown of monolithic proportions. I actually wonder if he's basically just paid for being a WUM most of the time.

One of the saddest parts in that article is the fact that Wilder was used by Audley as a sparring partner. One would assume that Audley was able to deal with whatever the young man was able to throw at him and, if that's the case, I can't see Price being offered a fight in the States anytime soon.

Rumours abound that the only American willing to fce him is Michael Grant and I predict another early night for Price if hat fight comes off.

Price is about to become President of the HW's "Who needs him" club and reign for quite some time

Aye, perhaps. Perhaps more Last of the Summer Wine than Last of the Mohicans though.

This has made me chuckle all morning.

Saw this yesterday. A hopeless piece, written by someone who hasn't much idea about the sport. Contrary, fact-free and plain wrong most of the time.

As for boxing "journalists", a label that was once a badge of honour, it's far easier to enumerate those who should remain in situ than those who should be pensioned off. Kevin Mitchell and Ron Lewis, essentially. The rest have no great feeling, either for the sport itself or for the written word.

Good shout on Mitchell, cap. He's excellent, and I thought 'Jacobs Beach' was a very good book, although I seem to remember a couple of others on here who have read it weren't as sold on it as I am.

Boxing still has great writers, Chris, ie those who produce essential books on the sport, but the standard of day-to-day boxing hacks has fallen in direct proportion with the significance accorded the sport by newspapers around the world, unfortunately.

What we have today falls between those who love the sport, but are just a little fonder of promoting themselves, and write drably about that very subject, and the dreaded sports all-rounder, who knows nothing about boxing and assumes that it can be treated in the same fashion as horse-racing, football or ice-hockey. As late as the 90s, men like Jon Rendall, Srikumar Sen and Hugh McIlvanney were producing boxing columns that were required reading. Virtually nothing falls into that category today.

It is very easy to criticise all things Audley when someone attempts to paint him in less than abusive tones. But look at the facts.

The guy brought boxing back to terrestrial TV. Had he been better guided he may have made a success of it. Boxers like Colin MacMillan tried to be self managed when they started and all said they had doors shut in front of them as they tried to break a cartel. Audley started on his own terms and continued. Boxers like Haye, Khan, Hatton, Calzaghe owe him a debt of gratitude as Audley paved the way for self managed and promoted boxers to get a bigger share of their purses. Had he been a better boxer perhaps BBC et al would have invested in boxing. Not his fault that he was a false dawn.

The current success of amateur boxing is down to him also. He campaigned long and hard for more money to be pumped into amateur boxing. I believe he could have won some sort of legal case involving amateur boxing and funding.

Yes the article is not the best ever written of the most accurate. But its easy to pick on his errors (many) and ignore the facts which paints Audley in a positive light.

Audley in the long run when looked objectively, has been a credit to British boxing, especially in the grass roots.

One thing the author got 100% correct. Price is charisma free and boring. Say what you will about Audley, the guy knew how to sell a fight and put bums on seats. Shame he was not cut out to be a pro boxer.

Truly terrible article but amusingly dissected il g. Think it was most likely written by audley's mum. Had a-force written it himself, there would be references to fulfilling his destiny and having price dancing to his tune before the lucky knockout.

Apparently Wilder tonked Audley all over the place.

Audley deserves great credit for his influence on the amateur game, Az. However, let's not for one minute suggest that his path through the professional ranks had any bearing on what Khan, Hatton or Calzaghe were able to achieve through their ability at the sport.

Audley's promise, and premise, was that he would be the next heavyweight champion. He is not to be blamed for failing in that task, but to create of him a heroic figure, as Mr Garner here attempts to do, is to stretch the truth as long as a Glaswegian's bar bill. He may have brought boxing back to terrestrial TV, but he also ensured that by far the most significant arm of it will not invest in the sport again for at least another generation.

Yes, he could put behinds on seats. So could the Bearded Lady and the Elephant Man, in another era. The freak show has always been able to outsell much worthier exhibitions, regrettably. The truth is that in any other walk of life, Audley would have been yesterday's news years ago.

I'm pleased that Harrison has achieved at least part of his dream and retires a relatively wealthy man. As far as professional boxing is concerned, though, all that he now deserves is the balm of oblivion.

88Chris05 wrote:Good shout on Mitchell, cap. He's excellent, and I thought 'Jacobs Beach' was a very good book, although I seem to remember a couple of others on here who have read it weren't as sold on it as I am.

Have you ever read 'Manly Art' by George Kimball, Chris? In one chapter Kimball absolutely slates 'Jacobs Beach'. He opens by saying that he rarely slates other journalist's work, but felt compelled to given the inaccuracies within it. After your review I added it to my wishlist, but Kimball put me right off it again.

6oldenbhoy wrote:

88Chris05 wrote:Good shout on Mitchell, cap. He's excellent, and I thought 'Jacobs Beach' was a very good book, although I seem to remember a couple of others on here who have read it weren't as sold on it as I am.

Have you ever read 'Manly Art' by George Kimball, Chris? In one chapter Kimball absolutely slates 'Jacobs Beach'. He opens by saying that he rarely slates other journalist's work, but felt compelled to given the inaccuracies within it. After your review I added it to my wishlist, but Kimball put me right off it again.

The only Kimball book I've read is 'Four Kings', mate, so no, haven't seen that one myself.

Have to admit, I've never really ever read a boxing-related book and thought it was anything lower than 'decent.' I know a few of the other serial readers on here (Jeff, Windy before his passing, Jimmy Stuart, Superfly, Tino etc) came across books now and then they they decided were pretty poor for whatever reason, but I've never really found myself thinking that. I tend to end up thinking that I've got something out of every book I've read.

Maybe I'm just easily pleased, maybe I'm a shoddy book reviewer - or maybe it's both! Each to their own, of course. I thought it was a good enough read, at least good enough not to be 'slated' as openly as that!

captain carrantuohil wrote:Audley deserves great credit for his influence on the amateur game, Az. However, let's not for one minute suggest that his path through the professional ranks had any bearing on what Khan, Hatton or Calzaghe were able to achieve through their ability at the sport.

Audley's promise, and premise, was that he would be the next heavyweight champion. He is not to be blamed for failing in that task, but to create of him a heroic figure, as Mr Garner here attempts to do, is to stretch the truth as long as a Glaswegian's bar bill. He may have brought boxing back to terrestrial TV, but he also ensured that by far the most significant arm of it will not invest in the sport again for at least another generation.

Yes, he could put behinds on seats. So could the Bearded Lady and the Elephant Man, in another era. The freak show has always been able to outsell much worthier exhibitions, regrettably. The truth is that in any other walk of life, Audley would have been yesterday's news years ago.

I'm pleased that Harrison has achieved at least part of his dream and retires a relatively wealthy man. As far as professional boxing is concerned, though, all that he now deserves is the balm of oblivion.

I'm not going to debate his boxing "success". See my last sentence in the post above. I didn't read it as Mr Garner portraying him as heroic. He added a little extra gloss no doubt. But I suppose it is countering the usual drivel written and said about Audley regardless if much it was self inflicted or not.

I believe his path through the pro ranks had a bearing on Khan if anything. After all Khan started off on terrestrial TV to build a fan base and to cash in on his popularity. Audley's initial fights on BBC drew decent figures. People were intrigued as he was sold as being the next big thing and viewers were apparently watching the birth of a British Champion. Khan took a similar road. I don't support your notion that its because of Audley that people won;t invest in boxing on terrestrial TV. Froch came after him as did Khan. Now we have DeGale, Fury and Hennessey's lot on C5. What drove boxers away from terrestrial TV is that they can make more money on pay to view TV.

Also I could be wrong but Audley was one of the first boxers to be self managed and promoted to ensure that he took most of the earnings. JC and hatton followed for similar reasons soon after leaving Warren.

Audley is certainly the reason that the BBC won't countenance pro boxing, Az. Once bitten, twice shy and all that. As the Beeb can command massive audiences, this has been greatly to the detriment of boxing and its claim to being a mainstream sport.

I should add that Audley, having been granted £1 million of Auntie's beneficence, could easily afford to take the self-managed route. JC, Hatton and Co were able to do so only having ensured their own marketability and after many years of effort and success. This came much later in their careers and at least half a decade after Audley's charmed life began. I simply don't accept that Audley had any "influence" on what happened to others five or six years later, at a time when he himself was already viewed as damaged goods.

As for Mr Garner, his constant references to Audley's "fighting spirit" and "pure heart", as though Harrison were some kind of latter-day Sir Lancelot, not to mention his description of Liston as the "champion-by-default", are quite enough to persuade this reader, at least, that he can safely be filed and receipted as an imbecile.

captain carrantuohil wrote:Audley is certainly the reason that the BBC won't countenance pro boxing, Az. Once bitten, twice shy and all that. As the Beeb can command massive audiences, this has been greatly to the detriment of boxing and its claim to being a mainstream sport.

I should add that Audley, having been granted £1 million of Auntie's beneficence, could easily afford to take the self-managed route. JC, Hatton and Co were able to do so only having ensured their own marketability and after many years of effort and success. This came much later in their careers and at least half a decade after Audley's charmed life began. I simply don't accept that Audley had any "influence" on what happened to others five or six years later, at a time when he himself was already viewed as damaged goods.

As for Mr Garner, his constant references to Audley's "fighting spirit" and "pure heart", as though Harrison were some kind of latter-day Sir Lancelot, not to mention his description of Liston as the "champion-by-default", are quite enough to persuade this reader, at least, that he can safely be filed and receipted as an imbecile.

Prior to Audley, when did the BBC last show a boxing fight live? Its unfair to blame Audley when all top fighters had gone to Sky. Moreover ITV had overtaken the BBC in showing boxing. So who is to blame for ITV not showing live boxing? Froch? Hennessey? Audley is being used as an excuse for boxing no longer on terrestrial TV. Do we soom give credit to Fury is boxing comes back to terrestrial TV?

I would argue that Audley made a mistake going down the self promotion route. Time spending cutting deals etc would have been better sitting with a sports psychologist or training or both. Focussed mind etc.With greater experience comes the ability to do both. But he blazed a trail for self management. Khan was under Warren when he went to ITV as a novice pro. Good move. Audley over-estimated his intellect because he got a sports degree. Hardly an economics degree. But he tried to do it his way and to a large extent he succeeded given his bank manager is happy with him.

As for his bravery, well anyone who steps into the ring has serious balls. He showed bravery in gettin gup to continue against Haye. A coweard would have taken the easy route. Regarding his passivity in the Haye fight. Its not that he's scared to get his. I believe he's scared to leave himself open to get hit hence his extreme caution.

Yeah the Liston comment was laughable.

Agree with how Audley kicked off the phenomenon of the 'own promotion' way of doing things; agree that the BBC is probably put off boxing due to what happened but don't really sympathise much given the utter dross they spend our millions on any way.

Whatever his failings or delusions, he kept trying and got an Olympic gold medal, EU belt and more money than a lot of us will make. Best of luck to him.

Not once have I queried Audley's bravery, az. I merely feel that the author has chosen to paint it in an absurdly heroic light. To me, Audley's courage is unquestioned by virtue of the nature of the trade he chose. The fact that he ultimately preferred, and so prospered in, the more refined art of amateur boxing does not alter my basic view of his heart.

In the final analysis, there are shades of bravery, though. Audley will never be confused by future generations with Evander Holyfield.

Pugilist seems to have a boner for Anthony J.. funny considering he was out-boxed in 2 of those fights at the Olympics.

captain carrantuohil wrote:Not once have I queried Audley's bravery, az. I merely feel that the author has chosen to paint it in an absurdly heroic light. To me, Audley's courage is unquestioned by virtue of the nature of the trade he chose. The fact that he ultimately preferred, and so prospered in, the more refined art of amateur boxing does not alter my basic view of his heart.

In the final analysis, there are shades of bravery, though. Audley will never be confused by future generations with Evander Holyfield.

Many people have on here Capt. The author went overboard. Such sentiments would fit nicely on a message board and not on print I agree. But Audley was brave, a good fighter who achieved quite a lot in his career - money aside. It's just that he didn't come close to living up to the hype which he generated so he's ;ooked upon as a failure.

It's a shame what happened to Aud because despite the wrath he generates he was inspirational to many a British amateur. His problem was being a con in the pro ranks. It's people's own fault that they've been paying him tons of cash to make an idiot of himself. I used to quite like his daftness and his never say die attitude and refusal to accept that he can't do it in the pro ranks but his shower against David Haye was the last straw. To turn up like that for a world title fight is unforgiveable. Hopefully he leaves the sport and doesn't appear on a TV screen for a very long time.

Very strange article with litte in it that I agree with really. I would pretty much agree with your critique of it aswell as adding the bizzare description of Liston as a champion by default.

I have always though with Audley that it takes a different form of courage to do what he does. I could never say he lacked courage because to constantly put himself in the firing line of such ridicule cant be easy. But there are few crucial points.

First off is that he gets paid damn well for what he delivers. A million of the BBC for fighting damp squibs, a million for a farcical display against Haye and even in his lower key fights he still gets paid well comparitive to what aby other fighter with his record would get. So he is amply compensated for his failures. He may well have exited the stage far quicker had he not had the ability to make good money for what he did.

The other thing is with regars to his promoting. I actually dont think there was much groundbreaking to it. He was offered a lucrative deal and he took it. He failed at promoting because he didnt know the first thing about it and thought he would ride out a nice gravy train with the BBC dining off tomatoe cans untile the BBC had enough.

Promoters are pretty much a neccessary evil in boxing as far as Im concerned. Obviously I dont advocaate ripping fighters off or corruption and so on but the overwhelming majority of fighters dont know much about romoting and dont have much flair for it. Plus its a time consuming and unwelcome distraction from their job which is to train for fights. The additional burden of trying to arrange opponents, tv deals, scheduling and everything that accompanies promoting is burdensome. Its a full time job in itself and should really be conducted by someone with expertise. Even fighters that are essentially self promoted (the Klitschkos for example) sub contract all the promoters duties out to others such as Boente who takes care of that side of things and leaves the Klitschkos free to concentrate on just fighting. Its like any professional service really.

azania wrote:It is very easy to criticise all things Audley when someone attempts to paint him in less than abusive tones. But look at the facts.

The guy brought boxing back to terrestrial TV. Had he been better guided he may have made a success of it. Boxers like Colin MacMillan tried to be self managed when they started and all said they had doors shut in front of them as they tried to break a cartel. Audley started on his own terms and continued. Boxers like Haye, Khan, Hatton, Calzaghe owe him a debt of gratitude as Audley paved the way for self managed and promoted boxers to get a bigger share of their purses. Had he been a better boxer perhaps BBC et al would have invested in boxing. Not his fault that he was a false dawn.

Calzaghe - pro debut: Oct-93; first world title Oct-97.

Audley - pro debut: May-01.

JC had already defended his world title 8 times prior to Fraudley even fighting 1 pro round. Yeh, I'm sure he's forever indebted....

And if anything, Audley was the death knell of boxing on terrestrial TV not the saviour. He then capped off his career but teaming up with Haye to risk the future of boxing on non-PPV TV.

Yeh, great legacy.

TopHat, when did JC become self managed and promoted? Audley started off that way because of the fame he got from the Olympics. Nothing else. JC became self managed after making a name for himself from beating Lacey. He became known stateside whereas Audley was already known due to striking Gold.

Audley left BBC before Froch left or was kicked off ITV. Why blame Audley? BBC took a commercial decision as did ITV despite Froch delivering some excellent fights.

Calzaghe only promoted himself for the Jones fight. Up til then it was all Warren. I suspect had Warren delivered the Jones fight there would have been the standard criticism. To be fair, JCalaghe was criticised for it aswell. But it does highlight I think that boxers dont neccessarily do things different. That fight in particular doesnt really do much to dispel the idea that Calzaghe as opposed to Warren wasnt much interested in high risk fights. Likewise Audley with his BBC schedule of fighting no hopers when rumours at the time indicated the Beeb were dissatisfied with Audleys opposition.