Something from behind the scenes of pro boxing...

Ice Diary- November 7, 2007: One thing people do not see is the goings on back stage at fights and fight connected events. Each state and casino has their own boxing commission who oversees each professional fight show held in their jurisdiction. Casinos usually have their own tribal councils who basically oversee the regulation at boxing on their property. They have their own commissions, security, inspector, etc., who deal only with events held on their property as opposed to state commissions who oversee all events held within state lines. Fine. The boxing seems to be flourishing under these conditions at the casinos here in Connecticut and over the years they have brought high profile boxers such as Roy Jones, James Toney, Evander Holyfield, Larry Holmes, Hector Camacho, and countless others here to fight. Also fine.

If there is a problem, though, it is something that was very evident today at the weigh-in as a scene played out that has become almost unexpected and accepted when taking part in events here. We are at the Mohegan Sun for the weigh-in and Mike (Oliver) and I are exactly nine minutes late, strolling in at 5:09 for a 5:00 p.m. start time. So technically we are in fact late, sure, but one thing is that everybody in boxing knows that no weigh-in starts on time and, if anything, the high majority of these things start considerably later than the scheduled time. Number two is that people have lives, you know? You are on a highway that has traffic. You can't always leave in exactly enough time because you may have to wait until your wife gets home so she can take over watching the baby. Things happen, OK?

So we get there nine minutes late and the commissioner blows a gasket in front of the whole room full of people, screaming, talking down to us, saying that they will fine Mike for being late, etc. He also makes it a point, repeatedly, to let everyone know that he is the boss and "this is his show."

Things like this are ones I have seen numerous times over the years with some (certainly not all) of the commission members at both casinos. I can remember a time when I walked out of the dressing room with a fighter who needed to use the bathroom and when we came back in a few minutes later the commissioner practically accused this guy of going out and doing cocaine in the bathroom or something. It was totally uncalled for, the manner in which he talked down to the guy I was with.

Another time I was here with members of our corner for a fight and one of the guys who was basically there to help carry the bucket for our boxer didn't get the bracelet at the weigh-in that would allow for him to have full access to the dressing room area on fight night. It was obviously an honest mistake seeing as how this guy was very, very inexperienced in such matters. He had never helped in a corner before and had never even been in a dressing room before. He didn't know the procedures so when our team was called to go pick up our bracelets the night before he didn't realize what was taking place and he stayed seated.

So fight night comes and once inside the dressing room it takes only a few minutes before the head of security comes over to him and in an extremely rude manner accuses this guy (a very gentle man in his 60's) of lying to him about not having his access bracelet. I definitely got the impression that he assumed this guy gave his bracelet away to a friend and figured he would just con his way into getting another one. The security guy isn't having it, though, as he literally straight up accuses the guy of being a liar right to his face.

I jump into the conversation and it escalates to the point where the president of the casino makes his way over to us and he seems to side with the security guy on the matter. I don't realize who he is, though, and I continue to loudly defend my friend who I know for 100 percent sure is totally innocent of any wrong doing. He is just a quiet, mild mannered guy who didn't realize he was supposed to pick up a bracelet the night before.

When my trainer at the time jumps in to eagerly make me aware of the fact that the guy I am getting into it with now is the actual president of the casino we are standing in, I am unfazed to say the least.

"I don't care if you're the president of the whole United States! There's no way you and these guys are going to accuse this man of being a liar, OK??," I yelled at him.

And as I stood there being a part of this whole episode a question popped into my head that came back to me today as I stood there listening to this guy yell and scream and threaten Mike-Mike.

"I wonder if they treat members of Diana Ross's crew the same way as they do the boxers?"

In other words, when some high profile acts perform at these places for the enjoyment of the customers (and bring in big money for the casinos while they are at it) do they get treated with same air of suspicion, disdain and lack of respect that the boxing people do? I mean, if a couple members of Celine Dion's road crew show up late for something do the people in charge scream at them like they are beneath them? Do they get dressed down in front of their friends and associates by the people who help run the establishment that they are performing at that night? I'd have to doubt it, you know?

 

Yea, I know what u mean... those referees who kind of make a little bit too much of a deal out of their commands, etc...I know this one ref who used to practically make a stage show out of warning a guy for holding, etc...I remember this other ref who used to break guys and he would seem so MAD and angry, he would loudly yell the command with this very irritated sounding voice, it was a thing where his actions took over the fight.