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I watched the
Klitschko vs. Fury press
conference with both amusement
and disappointment, witnessing
Tyson Fury arriving on the scene
in a Batman outfit, resolving
the “issue” with The Joker, and
then proceeding to express to
the world champion how he would
be the next foe to be taken out
by Batman.
Major boxing
press conferences have certainly
changed from the old days, when
a serious event took place only
to be replaced nowadays with
comical, over the top
extravaganzas in order to have
something different, innovative,
creative and more importantly
the capacity to sell tickets and
to hype up an event, and of
course to create a media frenzy.
It is true
that boxing has evolved from
being a night of seven or eight
fights, to an “event” that
starts months before fight night
and ends with the closing press
conference after the fight. It
is a show spanning several
weeks, and no longer just the
simple fights on the night. It
is a media journey from the
announcement of the show to the
concluding press conference.
The question
then beckons – was Tyson Fury's
“Batman” saga this past week
conducive to making the event
more memorable and more
exciting, and again more
importantly better for TV
viewership, or did it detract
from the beauty of the sport of
boxing as we know it?
As old fashioned as I am in
boxing, I do agree that it adds
something to the event. What
exactly and how exactly I'm not
really sure, but for certain it
made news and in today's boxing
world, news is what counts most!
I wish Klitschko all the best
for his fight, and look forward
to what fury Gotham City's
Batman brings on the night.
Until next time, keep boxing.
Howard Goldberg
PRESIDENT: World Boxing
Federation
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