Bums, tomato cans, human punching bags, “the opponent”, among other alternatives. Boxing’s journeymen are subject to a plethora of references, most of which are degrading and an unfair reflection of their importance to the sport. Contrary to popular belief, journeymen tend to have amateur boxing backgrounds, they know how to fight, and boxing is never actually their main source of income. In short, they are so much more than a mere “W” on someone’s record. Fact is, without journeymen, prospects would never learn their trade, and promoters would never be able to build a fanbase for the fighters that they choose to invest in.
You could be forgiven for thinking that journeymen would therefore be a recipient of lucrative opportunities in tandem with what they bring to the table, but that is very rarely the case. They typically have minimal preparation time, sometimes 24 hours or less, and even if they do perform better over the scheduled distance, it’s not uncommon for them to be a victim of dubious decisions at best. So that’s no time for appropriate training or to get in-shape, the likelihood of losing the fight on the scorecards even if they deserve to win, and poultry sums of money for their efforts. To add insult to injury, they are then subject to mockery and thought little of by much of the general boxing public, especially amongst casual fans of the sport.
So what motivates a journeyman to prolong their pursuit of such a career? In some cases it is exclusively for the money, and this tends to be blatant in the type of journeymen who take “dives” as soon as they take a clean shot. While it may be difficult to respect this, it is understandable and very rational if you think about it. Why would they offer integrity to a sport which doesn’t give it back to them in return? If in their mind, it is clearly better to take the check and significantly reduce the physical punishment that they would otherwise take, yet gain nothing from, who has the right to object such a mentality? Certainly not us fans who inadvertently support a business model which dictates that these men are destined to remain at the bottom of the boxing food chain.
What about the journeyman who holds his own and asks a prospect or contender questions on the night? Well, to put it bluntly, they are worth their weight in gold. They often love the sport, are knowledgeable about it, and are firmly committed to being the best that they can be, even if they have never received the same backing as the more illustrious fighters that they are matched with. Promoters have to be careful when approaching such journeymen, especially if they have enough power to potentially gain a stoppage victory. After all, while fans may enjoy the occasion that a sporting upset brings and the underdog victor may stand to gain from it, the promoter is only too aware that the value of his prospect’s stock has just taken a hit! These journeyman are far better than their record suggest and are the backbone of the sport. Furthermore, had they gained the favor of a promoter willing to back them, they could well have been an ascending prospect/contender/champion themselves.
Rather than be dismissive of these fighters just because they were never fortunate enough to have a break, let’s appreciate them for who they are and what they do. Without these reliable “losers”, there would be no winners. Boxing needs them.
