Korbin McDonald | Vandal Nation Manager
The hug fest between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao last weekend, which was dubbed the “Fight of the Century,” left boxing in an even worse place than it had been before.
Boxing had been struggling to stay relevant, and the fight labeled to be the savior of the sport just left people wondering why they wasted $100 to watch the “fight” — if it can even be called that.
Let’s be honest, more punches are thrown in your average middle school fight.
Boxing, however, used to be cool, especially at the University of Idaho.
Yes, believe it or not Idaho used to be a national power in the collegiate boxing world. From the 1930s to ‘50s, Idaho collected a total of 19 national championships in the sport.
Memorial Gym was the place to be, too. It was estimated 5,000 or more fans used to pack into the cramped gym to catch a glimpse of boxers like Rolly Shumway, who was Idaho’s first national champion in 1937, or Ted Kara, who won three individual national championships in the early 1940s.
Unfortunately, the NCAA discontinued the sport in 1960, and now all we’re left with is memories.
But after witnessing last weekend’s “Fight of the Century,” which looked like two men learning how to dance for the first time instead of taking swings at one another, it’s probably time for boxing to try something new.
Instead of paying boxers enough money to end world hunger, the sport needs to go to a different outlet — an outlet that’s proved to be successful, even in small communities like Moscow.
The NCAA needs to bring boxing back because for all we know, it could be the sport’s only hope (OK, probably not).
While boxing still exists in college athletics with the United States Intercollegiate Boxing Association, it’s not the NCAA — even with all of its problems.
Again, let’s be honest, nobody has ever heard of the United States Intercollegiate Boxing Association. It probably doesn’t have a Scrooge McDuck-sized pool full of money like the NCAA does. In fact, NCAA President Mark Emmert is probably swimming in it right now.
Money is nice. It’s a luxury many people and organizations don’t have.
The NCAA has oodles of it, so why not spend some of it to rejuvenate a sport like boxing, which is in desperate need of rejuvenating.
Instead of showing drunken celebrities on television who have no intention of watching the fight, boxing needs to get back on college campuses. Show drunken college students losing their minds based on what is actually going on in the fight.
Korbin McDonald can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @KorbinMcD_VN