I really hope boxing returns to its former popular state

There are just some things in this life that we love – without really understanding where that passion comes from.

For me, one of those things is the sport of boxing.

It’s in my blood – it always has been something I’ve cared deeply for. Even though I have absolutely no clue why.

For starters, I’m 5-foot, 9-inches and weigh 150 pounds even if my clothes are wet. You don’t have to be a purist of the sport to know that’s not exactly fighting material.

I’m not athletic. I’m slow for my size and don’t have a good pain threshold – I don’t like to be hit.

Again, I’m not sure why boxing is the thing for me, but it just is.

So with that said, this past weekend, I was fortunate enough to attend some live fights at Cypress Bayou Casino.

The card seemed to be pretty top-heavy – a who’s who of local fighters, including Mason Menard and Travis Scott. So I decided to give it a shot and see what it was all about.

Even with the big names on the card, admittedly, I wandered into the lovely local casino with pretty low expectations.

Boxing is on the decline and has been for many years.

Sadly, it’s now been overtaken by MMA, and is the second most popular fighting sport in the world.

It is what it is.

But this weekend’s fights were an exception to the rule – the local sluggers inside the casino’s halls put on a hell of a show.

It was refreshing to see bouts that were clean from the corruption that has poisoned the sport – the cancer that has made millions of Americans turn away from the ring and give its attention the UFC octagon.

It was nice to see fighters going to battle out of love for the sport and not for the sake of the seven-figure payout.

In its purest form, boxing is one of the best sports in the world.

It’s one man against another man in physical battle.

It’s mental chess where every move matters. In one swoop, you can go from landing a blow to being nailed by a hard right hand that ends your night.

The guys in the ring are warriors.

My good friend and fellow boxing purist Damien St. Pierre perhaps said it best a few years ago when I talked to him about the sport.

“Almost everyone inside of that ring has a story,” St. Pierre said.

It’s true.

Some fight for the money – many fighters are born poor without conventional skills. In their eyes, boxing is their only avenue to rise out of that and better the lives of themselves and their children.

They fight for themselves, but also for their families.

I guess former champion Kennedy McKinney said it best when I interviewed him a few years ago regarding his fascinating story.

In that interview, he explained his motivation for fighting.

“I did this so that my kids didn’t have to,” he said.

Away from the desire to better life, other fighters compete through programs sponsored specifically to keep kids out of trouble.

I know it sound a bit warped that we monitor troubled children by giving them permission to fight with their peers.

But the sport teaches discipline, work ethic and it provides a controlled environment.

It works.

Many, many great fighters credit the sport with saving their lives. Without it, they tout they would have ended up in jail – if not worse.

And still others do it just because they love the adrenaline rush of being in a good, ol’ fashioned fight.

They love the feeling they get when they land a clean, flush blow to the face of their opponent.

Even more, they love that taste of blood and sweat in their mouths to signify that the fight is on.

When the sport was at its peak, it captivated America. Big fights were bigger than big – they were huge.

Arenas were packed, the media coverage was global and millions and millions of Americans were glued to their television sets, hanging onto every word.

Ask an adult in their mid 50s or 60s to rattle off athletes from their childhood and more times than not, the names ‘Ali,’ ‘Foreman,’ or ‘Frazier’ will be heard.

Those days are gone, but the sport still can return to its position at the top.

UFC’s popularity and America’s outrage with rule changes in the NFL prove that this nation still does love fighting.

But what we don’t like is corruption, nor political leverage – those are the two things that have poisoned the sport to its current state.

All it would take is a really wealthy businessman with ambition to take control and handle all of the promotion – much like Dana White has done for the UFC.

If the sport would be able to find someone without bias – someone who only wants to make the best fights – we would all be better off.

But until then, it is what it is, and the sport has been left for dead – gasping for air.

It’s sad, but true.

This weekend’s fights were a breath of fresh air, but they were the mere exception to the rule.

That’s unfortunate, because I’m a boxing savant. Still can’t figure out why, but that’s another column for another day.