An event that had everything to promote the sport, defending the world belt of Brazilian Bia Ferreira and a duel between gold and Olympic bronze Hebert Conceição and Yamaguchi Falcão, ended with chaotic widespread fight involving the teams of former boxing champion Aceino Freitas, Popó, and former MMA champion Wanderlei Silva.
The episode remembered, in full Globo, on TV open and national network, the dark times of the early days of the MMA, the forerunner of the organized MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), when rivals groups of struggles starred in fights, drowning the public.
Within the four strings, referee Reginaldo Peixoto strictly followed what dictate the rules, by admonishing Silva twice by faults and discounting one point such as punishment for each time, a resource that officers have in hand to keep the fight under control. Finally, as the regulation dictates, by committing a new infraction, Silva had the third point discounted and automatically disqualified.
Immediately, members of the Popó team, already on the ring, began to scream, point towards the team of Silva, warming their spirits further. Silva’s team rose to the platform and, annoyed, a member of the Silva team invested against the rival group, which was the water drop to start a widespread fight with dozens of participants.
By the time the ring was totally taken, Globo sought to spare the audience, displaying a distant image. But in the decentralized information age, with information shared via social networks, almost instantly were already abundant images and recordings of the canal fight that displayed the event, such as several other angles, recorded by cell phone cameras and shared by the local public.
Received in a luxurious atmosphere, the event’s on-site audience consisted of selected guests whose “dress code” obeyed official guidance: Black-tie, which contrasted with the savage-wittedness after the final gong. There was no commercialization of tickets for the public.
Available images must be analyzed and the culprits identified and punished at least in the sports sphere.
Aggressions perpetrated after the end of the fight, especially the punch with a naked fist that hit Silva, while apparently tried to separate the fight, coming from a point that could not see or defend himself and that knocked out, put the former pride to the former show.
Worse, the confusion continued with Silva fallen.
The conflict could have climbed, such as Madison Square Garden in 1996, after another disqualification by Polish Andrew Golota against former heavy champion Riddick Bowe, who generated a fight involving fighter teams and spread to the public; Or as after Marvin Hagler became champion at the house of Briton Alan Minter in 1980 and having to protect himself from a rain of bottles thrown in the rose by the public in Wembley.
Everyone losing with the pitiful episode of the dawn on Sunday (28).
The fight certainly does not contemplate the interest of Spaten, Ambev beer brand, which uses the event to promote its brand.
Nor did they win the athletes in terms of sports legacy. The title of Spaten champion is a marketing instrument, whose relevance is limited to the universe of competitions within its own circuit.
Officers of international entities such as the International Boxing Federation and the World Boxing Organization, present in Brazil to supervise the duels between Conceição and Falcão and the Bia World Title dispute, showed disinterest in the entertainment challenge between Popó and Silva, leaving the place before the initial gong sounds.
Challenges involving influencers, youtubers, subcelebrities and retired athletes became fashionable. The most successful is Jake Paul, Youtuber who builds career in professional boxing, and last year took Mike Tyson, then 58, from retirement to face him in a millionaire combat.
These events are extremely media, and can be fun. But the question is not to confuse sport with entertainment.
