Juan Manuel Marquez, the four-division world champion, is furious with people who enter boxing.
YouTube stars, social media celebrities, retired NBA and NFL players, are jumping on the boxing bandwagon – with fights and events popping up more and more in recent years.
The top finishers in the entire sport are more than ready to put on a show, as two Youtube sensations, Jake Paul & Hasim Rahman Jr. will do so in Madison Square Garden at Showtime on August 6th.
Marquez explains that in the past boxing was considered too dangerous for people, and most parents would forbid their children from participating.
The sport is being disrespected, he says, because the famous boxer says that there are more and more non-boxers entering the ring to fight.
It’s creating a narrative that anyone can enter the ring as a contender and compete; it has blurred the line between boxing and MMA.
“What impacts boxing is the number of people wanting to box these days,” – Marquez without hesitating. “I heard someone ask a trainer if his son would like to be a boxer and [the trainer] said no.” Boxing is a challenging sport, but now everyone wants to join.
“Without fear of being wrong on the matter, I view it as a lack of respect. Boxing is something that is taken seriously.
[A fighter] trains, prepares, and leaves everything inside the ring. It is not fair that a Youtuber is fighting inside the ring, a former basketball player or someone who has never fought in their life.
Boxing deserves respect. This is not a game. When you fight your life is at stake and the respect for the sport has been lost.”
Since retiring several years ago due to nagging injuries, Marquez has not fought in the ring since 2014. Marquez was on track to fight fellow retired world champion Miguel Cotto in an exhibition bout last year, but the fight fell through.
