Legendary boxing voice Michael Buffer like many in the events business is on vacation for now.
Until big time boxing events come back the world renowned MC’s services are likely to be on hold for some time.
The folks at Top Rank are bringing boxing back on June 9th in the MGM behind closed doors.
But, that said, in terms of the big world title fights — the events Buffer is usually involved in — it could be months yet.
Like many at the moment he’s been shocked by what he’s seen in America.
The killing of American George Floyd by a police officer in broad day light has caused outrage around the country.
And indeed around the world now.
Buffer summed up the whole climate of hate at the moment best with this I thought:
It got me thinking.
On my travels earlier this year I was teaching English to Italian kids for a time.
It was a great experience and surprisingly, despite not having great patience traditionally, I was a better teacher than I thought I’d be.
It reminded me of how great kids are.
How unexpectedly funny they can be and just in general what quite brilliant, pure, positive energy they have.
I’m probably a big kid myself in fairness!
Alas, no one is born with hate in their heart.
Surely.
This is something that is taught and sadly passed on.
Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn had a similar comment earlier today.
I thought this was very good from Eddie and Kugan Cassius earlier and a good message from folks in boxing at the moment:
I spoke at length to a friend of mine the other day and this whole period got me thinking about another story.
One briefly recounted from an English gentleman.
Perhaps a bit of an odd fella but a good chap, a good boxing man and a bloody good businessman by all accounts.
He spoke one time to the effect of how he gained his love for boxing in the beginning.
A simple time as a child when his father brought him to the cinema as a kid to watch Muhammad Ali fights in England.
He looked back at his life between then and years later when he had gotten involved in business.
After having seen all the crappy, deceitful and scummy things (only from a small few mind you) low-level operators employ he had only changed his view because of outside influences exclusive of his original thinking.
But he still remembered, though, that child who went to the cinema to watch Muhammad Ali with his father all those years ago.
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That was the purest understanding he had then of why he loved the sport.
In essence, everything between then and now that caused his perception of what he loved to be adversely affected into a more pessimistic view was all just noise and bull.
In the end.
It reminded me of the phrase:
“Go back to what you heard and believed at first, hold it firmly…”
Kids can teach us a lot about life.
I only hope when I become a dad in the years ahead that I can be a good dad.
In conclusion, mind yourselves folks during this time.
On a bright note — boxing is back on June 9th thanks to good old Bobby Arum and his team at Top Rank.
Roll on.
