opinion Fans of amateur boxing got another look this past week at the bad attitude that is known as Rau’shee Warrren. The two-time Olympian and several time national champion has shown his unsportsmanlike conduct on more than one occasion. The latest was during last week’s semi-finals of the 2009 US National Championships held in Denver, Colorado. The southpaw out of Cincinnati, Ohio lost a decision to Jesus Magdaleno and then complained like he was owed something. In published media reports, Warren suggested that he might be done with amateur boxing – apparently because he isn’t given a win because he is, well, him. Last year in Beijing, Warren absolutely wasted the last thirty seconds of his first fight at the Olympic Games apparently unaware that he was behind one point. Instead of putting in the extra effort and fighting the whole fight, he danced around trying to stay clear of his opponent lest he make a mistake. In other words, believing he was ahead in points he was satisfied to stop fighting and just try to avoid getting hit. That doesn’t seem to be the effort of an Olympian and it cost him, losing to Korean boxer Oksung Lee. For Warren, who had competed four years earlier and lost early then also, it was too much to bear so he removed his gloves and angrily threw his headgear out of the ring and into the crowd before himself storming through the crowd. He then went on camera and criticized the scoring (he was not the only person to do so, and perhaps rightly). Forget the fact that believing he was ahead he all but quit trying anymore. That was the problem, Rau’shee. You don’t necessarily have to knockout every opponent but you do have to outwork them and that means fighting until the bell rings. I
remember catching the tail-end of a scene caused by Warren and his
team while covering my first national tournament. At the 2006 Ringside
World Championships in Kansas City, Missouri, Warren had apparently
lost a bout and he and his team were none too happy about it. They
caused a small stir yelling amongst the six rings in operation while
complaining loudly that Warren was destined for the Olympics. The
jist from his people was essentially the same as the large tattoo
that covers his back proclaiming Warren “The Chosen One.”
It’s the same attitude that one can see in the tape following
last years Olympic loss and that one can read in last week’s
ESPN article that quotes the southpaw as saying: “After all
I’ve done for USA Boxing and this is how they treat me?” |