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(JUNE 28)
WBAN has endured reading comments made as early as 1997, in the press, by
HBO representatives with lame excuses as to WHY they feel
"Justified" in denying women boxers the privilege to
be on their televised segments of HBO----as they have ALLOWED MALE BOXERS to
be featured.
This is one of their "stock phrases" that have been
quoted from time to time...."At the time the talent
pool (women boxers) is not that deep”. HBO apparently has been given
"free reign" for MANY years to treat women boxers differently than
male boxers, and it has been an on-going practice.....
Even in the best case
scenario, HBO justifies the fact that they have women on their cards (untelevised)----but
in reality, it still
does not give women an equal opportunity for the BIG purses, the BIG
exposure allotted to male boxers.
IF boxing fans can not see women as they do the male boxers on
Television....HOW in the world can women boxers grow in this sport?
The
latest quote by HBO’s sports programming director, Kery Davis, who was
quoted on Maxboxing.com , “There hasn’t been enough consistency in the
women.”
WBAN has ONE question for Davis….So
WAS THAT out-of-shape, barroom
brawl match disguised as a “main event” featuring Lennox Lewis, and where
outrageous purses were paid to LEWIS and his opponent, a qualification by HBO for
“Consistency?”
I am sure HBO paid "mucho bucks" for these boxers to fight
in the main event, and yet Lewis looked more like he had spent more time in
an ice
cream parlor than a gym.
Could HBO deny the fact that the “WOMEN” (Laila
Ali vs. Valerie Mahfood, Lucia Rijker vs. Jane Couch) who were on the
“UNTELEVISED” segment June 21st, were not in fact THE BETTER fights, all in BETTER
condition than Lewis, and more exciting fights than the Lewis slow-motion
slugfest?
The bottom line is this, HBO------you have run out of excuses. You
ran out of them 2-3 years ago. You have denied women boxers
based on their gender the right to make the same kind of living as male
boxers. If you were an employer of these boxers and made these
comments to the press, you would probably be sued....
Ending Comments....HBO needs to just 'suck it up, change their policies'
and GET WOMEN on their TELEVISED Cards! Enough….is Enough.
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