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By Ted Sares
The year 2020 has been roiled by a potpourri of turmoil. Terribly damaging wildfires again rage on the West Coast; dual hurricanes hit the Gulf; trauma associated with police and other shootings lands hard as deadly protests, riots, lootings, and racial discord abound; police shootings, most recently in Kenosha, Wisconsin, trigger marches and (for the first time) pro sports boycotts; general divisiveness is fueled by politicians, the press and social media; upcoming presidential and House election campaigns portend more turmoil; politicians doing the “Perp Walk” blend in with lurid, high-profile sexual trysts; immigration issues fester; healthcare availability remains a major concern as does climate change --- and all of these issues are umbrellaed by a pandemic that has claimed close to 185,000 American lives and decimated an economy as recession fears permeate, giving new meaning to the word “virtual.”
Masks, social distancing, sanitizers, vaccines and even plasma have their place as do Doctors Fauci and Birx but Dr. Stella Immanuel of “Demon Sperm” infamy does not-- nor do disinfectants as a cure for the virus. Many from all sides seem to have lots of snake oil to sell. Reopening the economy is a difficult and risky consideration.
Meanwhile, politicians haggle as the unemployed await badly needed financial relief.
Additional factors have turbo-charged the anxiety index but the foregoing is more than enough to make the year 2020 infamous and dangerous and to incentivize one to look for an escape hatch other than online movie channels.
March 2020
Covid 19 seemed to rear its ugly head in the US around the time Robert Helenius scored a stunning upset victory over previously unbeaten Adam Kownacki by stopping him in the fourth round of a WBA Heavyweight Title Eliminator on March 7 at the Barclays Center.
"… It is what it is." Adam Kownacki
On March 6, twenty-one passengers on a California cruise ship tested positive for the virus.
It starts.
BOXING
During past periods of turmoil, boxing was a sanctuary. This time around is no exception; it provides a cathartic and exciting safe place -- bubble and all.
While the crowd reactions and cheers are missed, the shot that Alexander “Sasha" Povetkin (pictured) landed on Dillian Whyte at the Matchroom Fight Camp in Brentwood, Essex, England, made every boxing fan watching from home yell, “Oh my God, he knocked him cold.” As predicted, it was a battle of left hooks (mostly from Whyte who was ready to end matters) when the likable Russian landed a short left uppercut from Hell in round five that made one forget all about hydroxychloroquine.
“I can’t quite believe it. When the punch landed, I felt like I was in some dream.” – Eddie Hearn.
A stalking Delfine Persoon and slick Katie Taylor put on another 10 rounds of non-stop, fan-friendly action with the Irish Lass winning a close but clear UD.
While this was going on, Joe Smith Jr, knocked Eleider Alvarez almost through the ropes and out in the ninth round in Las Vegas to improve his stock as an exciting power hitter. Smith will now face the winner of the Maxim Vlasov-Umar Salamov fight for the vacant WBO 175-pound title.
Going Forward
There are plenty of prospective fights that will help boxing fans get through the next several months, and unlike many team sports, boxing can more readily thrive in a controlled environment as there are fewer people involved.
"We have a date of early December for Anthony Joshua, where we hope live crowds will return" -- Eddie Hearn
But the prospect of live crowds doesn’t seem to be in the cards for Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Teofimo Lopez Jr. when they meet in October. Gervonta Davis vs anyone (probably Leo Santa Cruz) would be a welcome tonic from the boredom of staying inside. Same with Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin -- and, of course, Errol Spence and Terence Crawford remain the ingredients for a great cure from self-imposed quarantine, but Spence must first get by tough and talented Danny Garcia. Jermall Charlo vs Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Daniel Dubois vs. Joe Joyce are the kind of “debates” that boxing fans want to see.
Still to come is more from streaking Tim Tszyu and a “rejuvenated” Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez. Heavyweights Fury, Wilder and Joshua need to sort things out as Pulev, Parker, and Ruiz Jr loom. The brutish Artur Beterbiev is on a roll and will fight Germany’s Adam Deines in Moscow in October, but whether Manny Pacquiao has another big one remains to be seen.
Oleksandr Usyk vs Dereck Chisora is guaranteed to take some edge off externally-induced tension.
The point is, boxing is resilient, alive, and well, and given the external circumstances, perhaps more so than ever.
Ted Sares can be reached at tedsares@roadrunner.com or on Facebook and welcomes responses and/or questions.
Check out more boxing news on video at the Boxing Channel
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