A part of why I have this unconditional love for boxing lies in my memories. I remember Friday nights, sitting in my basement as a 10 year old kid, waiting for the 10 o'clock fights presented by Gillette to begin. I even remember the shaving jingle that preceded the program. This goes back about 40 years, yet I feel real warm when I think about it. I remember Gene Fullmer, Ralph Dupas, Carlos Ortiz, Dick Tiger, Eddie Machen and a lot more. I knew these fighters because I saw them on the Friday night fights 52 weeks a year. These were the best fighters around and I got to see so many of their fights that I knew the convoluted twists and turns of all their ongoing careers. It wasn't difficult to follow fighters then cause the rankings were pure and simple. It was then the WBA, and of course The Ring Magazine's official ratings which the true fan respected as The Gold Standard. I love to remember these relatively simple, yet colorful and exciting times in boxing history. I go back frequently because I don't get the rush today like I used to. What the hell happened??? The answer is simple, but the 'whys' and 'how comes' it happened are more complex. Boxing has been watered down so badly that it is next to impossible to follow and connect with the fighters. We have 86 divisions to add mediocre fighters to, and we have 46 Boxing associations to rate fighters according to whatever their respective agendas are. Now I know that money is why stuff like this happens but I don't give a damn about who makes what and who controls what. All I want is my boxing back. I want a lot of good fighters that I can relate to and follow. What I don't want is a load of mediocre fighters who were brought up quickly so as to fill the watered down rankings of these ridiculous Associations with their 400 weight classes. It comes down to this, the fans just don't count. We have to wade through these diluted boxing cards to see maybe 2-3 quality fighters and when the dust clears, I hardly get what I love. What I love is simple. I love good fights by good fighters in a colorful and exciting fight environment. What ruins boxing is the slop we get with matches between fighters who should be only in the preliminaries. Like I said, I know what's wrong. I don't know exactly how it got this way or how to fix it. I believe that the current unification between the WBA and WBC is a step in the right direction. What I want, what I really want is the fun, closeness and excitement that I think as a fan I deserve. I got it before so I know it's out there.

Dr. Ken Winokur