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Welsh boxing has a real fight on its hands as we enter 2021, with no fights and little training activity being allowable under the current restrictions. A helping hand, therefore, is very welcome which is why columnist Fraser Watson is keen to lift the glove of Anthony Joshua and declare him a true champion when it comes to looking after his own sport.
In the sport of boxing, actions should speak louder than words.
It’s a notion that’s often easy to forget; Connor McGregor blagging his way day into a multi-million dollar fight, Logan Paul and KSI going viral, Mike Tyson and Roy Jones junior being dragged out of the doldrums – all enough to render futile the notion that a lifetime of dedication is needed to reach the top.
After all, why sacrifice your youth by toiling away in a rickety gym when internet fame takes precedence over current in-ring ability?
These facades, of course, only serve to mask the struggles of those striving to make the top the honest way.
And throughout 2020 in Wales, those very struggles have been enhanced with the enforced closure of amateur boxing gyms – barring two short windows – where regulations on contact, participants, and social distancing ensured sparring was forbidden.
As for bouts and actual shows, they remain considerable time away.
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As a result, the inevitable has occurred. Gym owners have been hindered financially, trainers have been restricted, and membership numbers have dropped nationwide.
Grants for all sports clubs have been available from Sport Wales, but the long term effects mean successful applications will only temper the damage, not repair it.
Furthermore, boxing was omitted from the UK Government’s list of sports that shared a £300 million bailout in November.
Last week however, help arrived from an unlikely source. Albeit a very high profile one.
Anthony Joshua is one of the sport’s glamour men who manages to sustain what many of his contemporaries find impossible.
He’s the unified champion of the world, he earns millions, and he’s one of the most recognisable faces on the planet.
And yet he manages to embrace all this, whilst remaining humble and dignified in public. And to boot, he’s not forgotten where he’s come from.
The other day, the former Olympic gold medallist made a significant intervention to help the amateur national boxing federations of Wales, England and Scotland.
The 31-year-old has created a rescue package for clubs that are under threat of closure because of the pandemic. The six figure sum has been described by authorities as a ‘significant donation’.
“Without grassroots boxing, there is no Anthony Joshua,” he explained.
“The doors to these gyms are always open to any kid from any background. If I was 18 again and I was in a position where the gym was closed and it might not open, I would be devastated.”
The assistance Joshua offers, of course, extends beyond financial. He is a regular visitor to amateur training haunts, and aims to motivate youngsters as well as inspire them.
His donation has little to do with PR, and everything to do with ensuring a current generation of talent is not lost in the chaos of Covid-19.
Colin Metson, the chief executive of Welsh Boxing, has described Joshua’s support as a “welcome tonic to clubs at a time of real need,” and such high profile backing should only serve to bring their plight into the public eye.
It is also a timely reminder that in a sport often plagued by trash talking and insincere words, genuine figures exist.
Joshua may not possess the charisma or acid tongue of a Mayweather, a Tyson Fury, or a David Haye, but then again nor does he have a failed doping test, a suspended jail sentence, or a pathetic chair throwing contest with Derek Chisora on his CV.
His actions should serve as a timely reminder to boxing gyms in Wales and beyond that all is not lost.
That for all the current difficulties, there are important figures out there who know their imperative worth in the sport’s food chain.
And for all prospective young boxers, to hear a genuine world champion speak fondly of his humble beginnings in the sport, it should reinforce that blood, sweat, and tears in training will ultimately bring more kudos and respect than a few abhorrent taunts on Twitter and YouTube.
What happens in Joshua’s much anticipated bout with Tyson Fury in 2022 remains to be seen.
But for all his talk of appreciation for his humble beginnings, out of the ring if nothing else, Joshua’s actions have spoken even louder than his words.
He’s also reminded some that it is possible to be global boxing superstar without behaving like an imbecile.
That’s nice to know.
