That is Half 2 of a two-part sequence. Click on right here for Half 1, highlighting Andy Foster’s background as a fighter-turned-commissioner.
A boxer who takes two punches for each one he lands in all probability isn’t going to final lengthy. A boxer who provides two for each one he takes might be going to the Corridor of Fame.
Anybody who’s been following boxing lengthy sufficient is aware of that, all too usually, it’s a sport that takes two steps again for each one step up. And although it’s not possible to get rid of the backward steps totally, California State Athletic Fee Govt Director Andy Foster is dedicated to attempting to assist the game take two steps up for each one step again. If he can get boxing to land two punches for each one punch that it takes, he’ll be doing his job damned properly.
In his dialog with BoxingScene shortly earlier than the Thanksgiving vacation, Foster shared his ideas on 4 of essentially the most controversial subjects perpetually knocking boxing backward: fighters slicing weight to harmful levels, fighters failing to make weight and holding measurement benefits over their opponents, PED use, and unhealthy selections issued by ringside judges.
In his roles overseeing first the Georgia fee from 2008-’12 and now its California counterpart since 2012, Foster has at all times positioned a heavy emphasis on attempting to scale back the hurt brought on by excessive weight-cutting. He believes it’s the one most essential safety-related matter in MMA, and is a minimum of within the prime two or three in boxing.
However he doesn’t suppose a return to same-day weigh-ins — the usual till about 40 years in the past — is a sensible possibility.
“Anytime you shift a coverage associated to weight slicing, you can have ramifications that you just’ve probably not considered,” Foster stated. “If I transfer the day of the weigh-in — properly, first off, I don’t suppose the enterprise aspect of the business would associate with that, due to the worth in promoting the battle on the weigh-in the day earlier than. However another excuse is, typically you lose fights on the weigh-in, and also you’ve received no solution to get a substitute last-minute. There’s simply no manner. I do know it’s troublesome to get a substitute once you’re dropping a battle on the day-before weigh-in, however it will be not possible, kind of, the day of the battle.”
In California, each fighter steps on a scale once more on battle day, and Foster famous that he retains a database exhibiting how a lot weight each fighter positive aspects in these 24 hours or so — with a flag planted for monitoring functions on every fighter who’s greater than 10 per cent heavier on the day of the battle.
One other perilous matter involving the size is that of what to do when a boxer fails to make weight. We’ve seen two egregious high-profile examples this yr, leading to reverse outcomes (neither one in California).
For his April bout in opposition to Devin Haney with a 140-pound restrict, Ryan Garcia weighed 143¼ and paid a monetary penalty in an effort to enter the ring bigger than his opponent and theoretically much less drained from the ultimate push to shed kilos. Garcia — who additionally examined optimistic for the banned substance ostarine — scored three knockdowns and delivered a bodily beating, seemingly owing in some half to the dimensions distinction, though the battle was in the end dominated a no-contest because of the failed drug checks.
Three weeks in the past, Keyshawn Davis made the 135-pound restrict for his homecoming battle however opponent Gustavo Lemos got here nowhere close to it, scaling 141½ kilos, and, like Garcia, paying a piece of his purse in trade for the potential benefit. On this occasion, the dimensions discrepancy didn’t matter, because the gifted Davis dusted Lemos in simply over 4 minutes of motion.
The California State Athletic Fee has particular guidelines in regards to the allowable “weight unfold,” as Foster refers to it, on the day of the battle. Neither Haney-Garcia nor Davis-Lemos would have been canceled on the weigh-in, so long as the fighters got here to an settlement to proceed, however they may have been canceled on battle day if the combatants weren’t shut sufficient to the identical measurement.
Foster famous the weird instance of a January 2023 ladies’s bout on a Tom Loeffler-promoted card in Montebello, California, between bantamweights Stefi Cohen and Kedra Bradley. Cohen scaled 117.6 on the weigh-in, Bradley reasonably mild for the division at 114. On the next-day weigh-in, Cohen was as much as 129.4, whereas Bradley had misplaced important poundage, dropping right down to 109.8.
“There was an amazing quantity of distinction between the 2 fighters on the day of the battle,” Foster recalled, “and [Bradley] was what I might think about to be the B aspect of this contest, and I now not felt comfy regulating it for the state. So I simply canceled it.
“We’ve had a few of our [fight-day weight] information crunched by Harvard Medical, they usually’ve been making some scientific conclusions that we’re considering. I imply, the aim is to be sure that the individuals are combating primarily on a degree enjoying discipline — as degree as it may be. And if it’s not degree, the fee will step in.”
Thanks partially to Garcia, the subjects of weight discrepancies and PED penalties are associated points as of late.
BoxingScene requested Foster if he feels the penalties for optimistic PED checks in boxing are stiff sufficient to discourage use of banned substances.
“Properly, I feel there’s a variety of components to contemplate,” he replied, noting that he’d simply completed texting forwards and backwards with Corridor of Fame ringside doctor Dr. Margaret Goodman a few PED suspension in California. “It relies on what the substance is, for one factor. If it’s only a SARM — a type of selective androgen receptor modulators — if it’s only a SARM that you could get within the stuff bought down on the vitamin heart, you’ve received to deal with that otherwise than artificial testosterone, for my part. Now, does that imply that you just don’t tackle it in any respect? No, since you’re answerable for what’s in your physique.
“My job is shopper safety. My job is to guard the general public, and the state, and the opposite athletes which might be going to be combating this individual.”
Foster famous that he not too long ago gave a fighter a suspension that might finish after 9 months if that fighter enrolled within the VADA program (which Goodman based) and examined clear.
“As soon as the drug check is clear,” Foster stated, “then they’re fined a little bit bit, however they’re additionally having to pay for this drug testing on their very own and it was like $5,000 or no matter, in order that’s like a superb. However they’re making certain that they’re in a position to compete pretty, and so long as they’re within the VADA program, we will really feel fairly good about whether or not they’re gonna battle clear or not.”
In Foster’s expertise, most of using PEDs happens a bit beneath the world-championship degree.
“For those who’re at that very prime degree, you’ll be combating in both California, Nevada, or New York, and people locations use Dr. Eichner for testing,” Foster stated, referring to Salt Lake Metropolis-based Sports activities Drugs Analysis & Testing Laboratory President and Director Dr. Daniel Eichner. “When you get to that degree, you simply don’t see the drug check failures such as you did in that lower- to mid-range of the boxers. I do know that’s in all probability not the favored reply that the media likes to painting. However I’m telling you, it’s more durable to cheat on the larger ranges.”
PEDs, measurement discrepancies, and excessive weight cuts all current authentic bodily risks to boxers. There’s one different perpetual reason behind controversy within the sport that isn’t threatening anybody’s well being, although it might dramatically influence livelihoods: unhealthy selections.
As a commissioner, a part of Foster’s job is to place the very best judges he can within the greatest spots, understanding that shut and debatable selections won’t ever go away, however that his actions will help scale back the variety of verdicts that draw excessive backlash.
“There’s lots of people that need to decide huge fights, and I admire that. Properly, I’d prefer to fly the house shuttle, however they’re not giving me the keys,” Foster stated. “We all know who the nice ones are. BoxRec compiles a nationwide judges’ rating for commissions to make use of. And it’s simply math, primarily based on being in settlement with the opposite judges.
“Now, simply since you’re in settlement with the bulk, that does not imply that you just scored the spherical proper. However over a interval of many, many rounds, you can begin to attract some conclusions. For those who’re speaking about somebody who’s received 400, 500, 600 rounds, they usually’re breaking with the opposite two judges 25 % or so of the time, perhaps they need to attempt golf or one thing.”
There aren’t any straightforward solutions to the issues plaguing boxing. However typically there are straightforward messages to obtain on this sport. And if the previous skilled MMA fighter who’s now the manager director of California’s athletic fee tells you to attempt golf … your finest plan of action would in all probability be to go purchase your self a set of golf equipment.
Click on right here for Half 1, highlighting Andy Foster’s background as a fighter-turned-commissioner.
Eric Raskin is a veteran boxing journalist with greater than 25 years of expertise masking the game for such retailers as BoxingScene, ESPN, Grantland, Playboy, Ringside Seat, and The Ring (the place he served as managing editor for seven years). He additionally co-hosted The HBO Boxing Podcast, Showtime Boxing with Raskin & Mulvaney, The Interim Champion Boxing Podcast with Raskin & Mulvaney, and Ring Principle. He has received three first-place writing awards from the BWAA, for his work with The Ring, Grantland, and HBO. Outdoors boxing, he’s the senior editor of CasinoReports and the writer of 2014’s The Moneymaker Impact. He could be reached on X or LinkedIn, or through e mail at RaskinBoxing@yahoo.com.
