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No need to fix fight
The Holyfield-Lewis fiasco was barely over before the world's media was casting about for some really teensy person to jump on his head and search that shock-treatment doo for horns that would confirm his Beelzebubian lineage and make great footage for Hard Copy.
You couldn't blame them. After all, when it comes to evil-doings we're not exactly discussing Sir Galahad.
From 1966 through 1969, King's listed residence was the Ohio Penitentiary. It seems old Don was running a large part of the numbers racket in Cleveland and killed one of his runners in a fistfight later described as a stomping. The courts tend to frown on things like that, and he was convicted of manslaughter. In the interim, what with assorted tax evasion and fighter-bilking charges, he's done more court time than Judge Judy, and never a glove laid on him.
But fix the Lewis-Holyfield fight?
How? And more importantly, why?
He's Holyfield's promoter. The contract for Saturday's fight had a rematch clause. Unless one man put the other on dream street or in a body bag, there was going to be a rematch anyway, and King was locked in as the guy to put it together.
But suppose he really wanted to fix it.
The classic way to pre-ordain the result of a bout is to convince one participant that he should fall down, preferably before a specific round so the heavies can hit large on the over-under. In a title fight when both men are already making guaranteed zillions, no way.
If either man wins by a knockout or TKO, there's nothing to fix. The only thing to rig is a decision. Which, the howlers claim, is exactly what must have happened.
So how would it be done?
This being a unification bout, each of pro boxing's three warring bodies got to appoint one judge. A three-way plot at the top is impossible. The people who run the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association and the World Boxing Council wouldn't give each other anything that wasn't communicable.
Getting to one judge wouldn't work. You'd need two in your pocket, possibly all three.
In the judgment of almost everyone who saw the fight live or on television, they must have needed white canes and guide dogs to get out of the Gardens. Okay, they screwed up. But deliberately? Pray tell, how?
Each judge hands in his score for a specific round as soon as it's over. That mark is cast in stone. Are they now saying that two judges kept a running tab in their minds and scored the last few rounds to make the total come out the way they wanted and the other made sure his points were dead-even so it would be a draw?
Eugenia Williams, the IBF appointee, saw the fight 115-113 for Holyfield, thus ensuring that her judging future in major fights is dubious at best. WBA judge Stanley Christodoulou of South Africa had it 116-113 for Lewis. WBC judge Larry O'Connell of Britain called the fight even at 115-115.
Lousy decision, sure. But a fix?
No matter which man won Saturday there was going to be a rematch. And don't give me that mandatory-fight-with-No. 1-contender bilge. Boxing goes where the money is.
Don King didn't fix the fight --not because it's against his dubious principles, but because he didn't have to. He had the rematch locked going in. He'll be the promoter, and it will be on Kingvision.
When you've got the key to the vault, there's no need to rob the bank.
Jim Taylor can be reached at jetset5@ibm.net