Boxing
Johnny Fisher’s unlikely rise can only be good for British boxing
There is a moment in the 1994 film Pulp Fiction where Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) tries to explain his aversion to eating pork – aka “pig kicking” – by describing pigs as “soiled animals” in a conversation with John Travolta’s Vincent Vega.
This leads Vincent Vega to ask if his fellow hitman also considers dogs to be soiled animals, to which Jules Winnfield replies, “I wouldn’t go so far as to call a dog soiled, but it’s definitely soiled. But the dog has personality. Personality matters a lot.”
This is never more true, I have often thought, than in boxing. Show some semblance of personality and you have a good chance of getting the job, especially if you can promote yourself and show off. Moreover, and more importantly, if you can show personality as a boxer, you are already halfway to breaking it; I mean, you’re making money that most boxers will never see in their professional careers.
After all, personality is what makes a boxer stand out from the crowd. Good or bad, it gives him an identity and a reason for fans to watch him. Some will watch and follow a boxer because his personality is charming, while other fans will hate him because his personality doesn’t appeal to them. Regardless of the incentive, as long as a boxer is watched, he is prepared to make a living from this sport that has a habit of taking from boxers as much as it gives.
In the case of Johnny Fisher and Alen Babic, personality has admittedly come a long way. In the case of both heavyweights, it has done most of the ponderous lifting in their careers so far, but that doesn’t mean these men can’t fight or that being popular is somehow a negative thing.
On the contrary, the kind of following that both Fisher and Babic have cultivated will undoubtedly be the envy of many of their peers. It will be the envy of peers because their sheer popularity has created opportunities for both; which in turn has resulted in the pair already raking in decent paydays.
Their next fight will take place on July 6 at the Copper Box Arena, where they will meet for 10 rounds. It goes without saying that this is a fight that many will laugh at and see as an example of two asses in a derby, and yet to view this fight solely in these terms is to completely miss the point. To view fighting in these terms is to place too much emphasis on style and aesthetics and ignore the fact that fighters like Johnny Fisher in particular are a dying breed in British boxing.
“Johnny Fisher has long been the biggest individual ticket seller in the country,” said Eddie Hearn, who will promote next month’s Fisher-Babic match. “More than 3,000 tickets have already been sold through Massive John’s (Fisher’s father) showroom. Thanks for all your efforts. We’re expecting about 7,000 people at the Copper Box on July 6 and what an incredible atmosphere it will be.”
While the exact numbers being advertised can be disputed, nothing Hearn said is untrue. Like it or not, Fisher, with the support of his dad and the entire “Bosh” brand (sorry), has built a fan base that both he and his promoter can count on every time he steps foot in the ring. It’s uncomplicated to make fun of it, and often is, but Fisher’s current crowd-pulling game represents something of a throwback. In other words, he’s doing things the old-fashioned way.
A arduous road. He goes out, sells tickets in person, and is now reaping the benefits of all that effort. Even if his personality outweighs his talent, which it can be argued is the case, no one can deny the importance of boxers like Fisher to both the promotion company and the sport as a whole.
It is uncomplicated to believe that British boxing is blossoming when you see so many British boxers appearing on the cards in the Middle East these days, but that view is ultimately naive, short-sighted. In order to thrive, thrive, British boxing needs more fighters like Fisher, who can still deliver real asses in a world of apps and broadcasting.
We should never lose sight of this importance, no matter how many British boxers go to Saudi Arabia and find all their dreams have come true. Because at the end of the day, being able to reach real people and sell tickets is something much safer and somewhat immaculate than the alternative ways of generating revenue that are currently being explored and used in British boxing.
Sometimes, and this is natural, we shoot at the wrong targets. For example, just three weeks after Fisher and Babic collided in “Copper Bosh” (sorry, again), there is another heavyweight fight that of the two is certainly more deserving of close analysis and criticism. The one taking place at the O2 Arena and featuring Joe Joyce and Derek Chisora is not only a fight that came years too delayed, but one could argue that it is a fight that sells personalities at the expense of health.
While Johnny Fisher and Alen Babic are still relatively modern to the scene, Joyce, at 38, and Chisora, at 40, have countless miles on the clock and considerable wear and tear. Worse, “War” Chisora (34-13, 23 KOs) has made his ability to take punches and stay upright his entire persona in recent years, the result – the money, the opportunity – pales into insignificance when you think about its long-term consequences.
Joe Joyce and Derek Chisora (Stephen Dunkley/Queensberry)
Boxing
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