Ring Notes

   -  For the first time ever, (with the exception of the Games we boycotted in 1980) the USA will have no medal in men's boxing.  (Women's boxing was added to the Games this year.  American boxer Claressa Sheilds still has a good chance to medal.)

     I thought I would avoid the sport of Boxing and the Olympics, but, after yesterday's fiasco, I just can't. 

     Last year, the BBC uncovered a plan in which officials from the country of Azerbaijan attempted to buytwo Gold medals at he London Games for $9 million.  It didn't work.  But, evidently, they were not finished.  Yesterday, despite the fact that Japanese fighter Satoshi Shiamizu knocked down Mogamed Abdulhamidou six times, the judges decision originally went against the Japanese fighter.  Ultimately, the decision was reversed.

    This is only the, oh....three hundredth time there's been a problem with men's boxing in the Olympics.  in the first London Games, in 1908, only one non-British boxer medaled.  When "Snowy" baker got silver, h complained that the ref was not on the up-and-up.  he probably had a point, because the referee was his opponent John Douglas' father.

   In '28, there were brawls in the stands to go along with the fights in the ring, the results were so controversial.  the list goes on, through '84, when Evander Holyfield was disqualified for alegedly throwing a punch on a break -  but if he did so, why did the Gold winner pull Holyfield up to the top step of the podium when awarded his medal?

   In 1988, American Roy Jones, Jr. was breezing through his matches, including the Gold medal dust-up, but the judges saw the one-sided bout differently, and awarded the win to Park Si-Hun.  how could this happen, you ask?  Well, the '88 Games were held in Seoul.

   I hope readers can understand why I initially chose not to cover the sport in the blog.