By Anish Parekh
“IT’S not a failure, it’s steps towards success,” replied Giannis Antetokounmpo when asked about whether he regarded his season a failure after the Milwaukee Bucks, his Milwaukee Bucks, were unceremoniously defeated in the first round of the playoffs by Miami Heat.
It was a mature, well-balanced answer to a question angled to encourage a reductive response in hopes for a juicy headline. It also provided context as to how we view sports and sportspeople: there always needs to be an interesting story and, taking into account ease of access and the speed with which content can be created and delivered, it could be emblematic of the times that the public are more intrigued by elite level sportspeople than they ever have been. Regardless of whether the news is good or bad, people will always gorge on half-baked narratives like addicted content junkies.
The greatest triumphs trigger a communal release of euphoria and excitement, whereas a disappointing defeat results in derision and dismissal. There is no in between, and in instances where there is, it brings a collective apathy.
This was unquestionably felt during December’s ‘Day of Reckoning’ event, where the storylines that played out left little room for interpretation as to where the night’s major protagonists stood in the landscape of the heavyweight division. Anthony Joshua, Joseph Parker, and Daniel Dubois were all big winners with standout performances. Deontay Wilder, on the other hand, fell massively short of expectations during his one-sided loss to the aforementioned Parker.
Joseph Parker outboxes Deontay Wilder during their heavyweight fight at Kingdom Arena on December 23, 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Ironically, the same three winners were recently written off with Joshua labeled a hype-job who lacked hunger and lost his killer instinct after losing to Oleksander Usyk a second time and turning in uninspired performances against Jermain Franklin and Robert Helenius. Joseph Parker, meanwhile, was deemed an average Joe after being clubbed into submission by Joe Joyce. As for Daniel Dubois, his courage was questioned after seemingly retiring prematurely when struggling in bouts with Joe Joyce and Oleksander Usyk.
So, how have the fortunes of these men changed so drastically? Criticism regarding both Joshua’s mental state and hunger were answered emphatically with a destructive display of front-foot power-punching as he expertly dispatched Otto Wallin; Joseph Parker exorcised ghosts of his bludgeoning at the hands of Joyce by remaining alert to the ever-present danger of Deontay Wilder by executing a punch-perfect game plan; and Daniel Dubois bit down on his gum shield to overcome moments of adversity against the human heavy bag that was Jarrell Miller before stopping him in the closing moments of a pulsating contest.
The three boxers captured the imagination of the public with their excellence in the ring, coupled with their mental fortitude to cast aside any doubts from previous disappointments. In the cynical boxing world to which they belong, they are fine examples of not buying into the narratives of the naysayers and understanding that their bold efforts in losing contests against top opposition were not reflective of any limited potential but a lesson in what is required to improve.
There remains this obsession with perfection: a desire to preserve undefeated records that do more for a fighter’s marketability than their ability. This mirage of magnificence does little for a fighter, however, especially when their vulnerabilities and limited experience are eventually exposed in a punishing manner when confronted with seasoned opposition who have dedicated years to developing their craft against formidable foes.
As keen observers and fans of the sports, we also can’t be so hasty to judge fighters or determine their legacies before their entire stories have unravelled. There needs to be an understanding that the trajectories of the careers of boxers are not always linear, particularly after defeat, which could in the end simply be the necessary – and difficult – step to take in their journey to success.