Paul Kent: Jeff Fenech decision should make sports fans wary
The world is full of sporting events that could be argued are in need of an official rescore — but should we? PAUL KENT investigates.
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With a bold brush of a pen this week, Jeff Fenech beat the one opponent no fighter has ever been able to – he beat history.
For reasons nobody properly understands, the WBC invited Fenech to America this week to present him with the WBC super-featherweight belt he came close to grabbing in 1990 before ultimately falling a round short.
The fight ended in a draw.
The shift was not just a change in Fenech’s personal circumstances but of history itself. With that result now a victory, Fenech becomes boxing’s second-ever, four-division world champion, after Thomas Hearns (1987) but before Sugar Ray Leonard (1998). Finally we get true recognition of Fenech’s greatness as a fighter.
This was at a time when four division champs meant something and Fenech is now sandwiched between two all-time greats.
The reception around Australia has been applauded as one of a long time coming.
We might be wary, though.
If boxing officials will re-score a bout from 32 years ago, it makes you wonder how far they are prepared to go back.
Will they go all the way back to Chicago in 1927 when Jack Dempsey knocked down Gene Tunney in a fight that famously became known as The Battle of the Long Count?
Dempsey put Tunney down in the seventh round but referee Dave Barry did not begin the count immediately because Dempsey forgot the new rule, that a fighter must retreat to a neutral corner before the count could begin.
By the time Tunney finally got to his feet, 13 seconds had elapsed.
Some believed it cost Dempsey the result while others, including Tunney, said Tunney could have got up at any time. But specifically, the count was long.
Certainly Dempsey has a legitimate argument.
Many still believe Sonny Liston took a dive in his rematch against Muhammad Ali to pay off debts to the Mob he made after losing the first fight to Ali.
Ali won but, if Sonny was in the can, does it now get ruled a no contest?
And do the bets still stand?
For years boxing promoters, as corrupt a breed as ever drew breath, have stood accused of paying off judges to fix results to build a bigger gate for the rematch.
That was one of the first thoughts from promoter Don King after the Fenech-Nelson draw was announced in that Las Vegas ring.
“Return man,” King said, slapping Fenech on the shoulder.
“F… you!” shouted back Fenech, who got it right the first time.
Should it stop at boxing?
England fans would love an official intervention after Diego Maradona produced his Hand of God to eliminate England from the 1986 World Cup. Maradona clearly punched the ball into the net to knock England out in the quarter-finals.
Less than a decade later, New Zealand was pronounced favourites to win the Rugby World Cup in South Africa before an intervention that put the conspiracy theorists into a full gallop.
The night before the final a waitress known only as “Suzie” entered camp for the first time to serve the All Blacks dinner. They came up with a shocking case of food poisoning, their performance was equally loose as the world got its happy ending.
That South Africa was hosting the World Cup, after recently being brought back into the world fold following the fall of apartheid, that Nelson Mandela was in the stands and all the symbolism that presented, most saw a South African victory as the only possible conclusion.
What chance the All Blacks getting the result reversed?
Open this can of fishbait and the world is full of sporting events that could be argued are in need of an official re-score.
But should we?
Sport records the best of our achievements but it is also about loss and regret, about missed opportunities and uncommon hardships.
For there to be light, there needs to be shade.
Certainly the affection for Dempsey grew throughout the American public after The Long Count debacle, much like Fenech’s did in Australia after the draw to Nelson.
There was an empathy for the injustice. Few of us can remember his name but many of us might recall the Chicago Cubs fan who reached over the fence in 2003 and cost a Cubs player an easy catch on a foul ball, all for a souvenir, when the Cubs led 3-0 in the playoffs.
A legal catch would likely send them to the World Series for the first time since 1945. Instead, Steve Bartman stepped in and got his souvenir but, from it, the Marlins rallied to score eight runs in the innings and win the game 8-3.
Such was the hate generated, Bartman later left town and changed his name.
Maybe the Cubs would like an official do-over, too.
Wherever you look you can find a sport that has suffered some kind of injustice.
It might not be right but it adds to the human drama, which we seem to enjoy.
When Queensland was chasing a seventh straight State of Origin series in 2012, Justin Hodges clearly ran behind teammate Ben Hannant before scoring, the try enough to get Queensland home 21-20 in the decider.
The obstruction was so obvious the rule was later changed to enforce a black-and-white interpretation but it didn’t overturn the result and came too late to give the series to NSW. Or will it?
St George was looking at the eighth of its 11 straight premierships in 1963 when Jack Gibson, the Western Suburbs prop who moonlighted as a doorman at Thommo’s illegal two-up school, and became an SP bookie himself, walked into the SCG dressing room before the game and warned his teammates to lay off if they had backed themselves to win.
Referee Darcy Lawler, Gibson told them, had already backed the Dragons to win.
He knew the SP who took the bet, which surely is grounds for the result to be overturned, right?
Should New Zealand be awarded the one-day series in 1981, back when one day series still meant something, certainly enough for Australian captain Greg Chappell to order brother Trevor to bowl underarm to stop Kiwi batsman Brian McKechnie hitting a last ball six that would have won the game?
It is a slippery road when we begin heading down this path. Nobody begrudges Fenech getting awarded the belt. If nothing else, all these years later it only adds to the story. He won the fight but it was not nearly as one-sided as most fans remember it.
The greater truth is that while the WBC corrected the result, it could never return what the judges took from him that night. He lost more than a title that evening. He lost his invincibility, leaving the ring with a chink in his armour nobody could repair.
Before that fight Fenech would spar anybody that walked into the Newtown gym, right up to Jeff Harding, who was the WBC light-heavyweight champion.
Trainer Johnny Lewis had no hesitation putting him in against anybody, no matter their weight advantage.
Not long after the Vegas robbery, one particular spar got exceptionally willing.
Fenech returned after a round and told Lewis to tell his sparring partner to ease up, he was punching too hard, which was against gym protocol but something that had never bothered Fenech before.
The invincibility was gone, mentally, missing from his arsenal from that moment, and that’s what was lost, and missing, for 32 years.
SHORT SHOTS
Newly minted NRL player agent Matt Adamson might be set for a payment he would otherwise have to wait years for.
Adamson has taken over the management of rising Broncos star Karl Oloapu but, given Oloapu is contracted to the Broncos for three more years, a deal negotiated by his old manager, Adamson doesn’t get paid for three more years.
As it turns out, Oloapu is no longer happy at the Broncos and not only wants a release but is threatening to sit out his contract if Brisbane doesn’t allow him to leave.
A new contract at any other club will immediately earn Adamson his agent’s commission.
But this is also certain: if Oloapu stands as strong as the Broncos intend to, and he does sit down for three years, he will not come back as the same player.
Inactivity kills footballers.
He claims his request for a release is because he “just wants to play football”, which the Broncos want as well, yet he is threatening to sit out his contract unless the Broncos release him.
He claims he has never met Broncos coach Kevin Walters, despite training with the top squad last year.
He says he wants a place in the top 30 squad but has done little yet to earn it.
His head seems full of irrational thoughts. He seems confused.
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