Have you ever watched a Black boxer go up against a fighter of another race, only to hear the commentators accuse him of "running"? It’s a baffling accusation. After all, how can you "run" in a boxing ring? What they’re really describing is a fighter who knows how to use his feet—someone who’s mastered the art of movement, while the other fighter struggles to cut off the ring.

Take Floyd Mayweather, for example. They called him boring simply because he fought smart, avoiding unnecessary risks and making his opponents miss. The same goes for Andre Ward, who was often criticized for using his jab to keep opponents at bay. “He’s not taking any risks,” they’d say, as if intelligent boxing wasn’t entertaining enough. Then there’s James Toney, who faced criticism whenever he chose to sit back on the ropes and counterpunch. And today, fighters like Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney are met with similar disdain. “It’s not exciting,” they say. But why is it that these criticisms are so often leveled at Black fighters?

What’s even more frustrating is that when these fighters win, they’re still met with skepticism. You hear things like, “Well, look who he fought,” or, “His opponent wasn’t at their best.” These comments are mind-blowing, especially considering that fighters like Stevenson, Haney, and many other Black boxers are always looking to fight the best competition available. They step into the ring with whoever is willing, yet the narrative is often skewed against them.

Now, let’s take a look at Canelo Alvarez’s recent opponents.  He fought Jaime Munguia, an undefeated fighter who had never been a world champion and hadn’t faced anyone of note. Before that he fought Jermell Charlo, a fighter who moved up two weight classes to take the bout. Before that there was John Ryder, who had four losses and was relatively unknown. Canelo also fought Gennady Golovkin for the third time—a fight no one was really asking for. Golovkin looked old and slow, yet Canelo couldn’t knock him out. But if this were a Black fighter in Canelo’s position, the criticism would have been relentless. Reporters, journalists, and commentators would be picking apart every aspect of his performance.

It seems like Black fighters are expected to jump through endless hoops to prove their greatness, while fighters of other races are given a much easier path. Take Naoya Inoue, for instance. He’s widely considered one of the best fighters in the world, yet we’ve never seen him fight in the United States. For all we know, he could be on PEDs. Do they even test for that in Japan? Meanwhile, when Canelo Alvarez was caught using steroids, he was only suspended for six months—a slap on the wrist. Other fighters have been caught using banned substances, and nothing happened to them either. Just look at the Ryan Garcia situation—a one-year suspension is a joke.

Boxing is plagued with corruption, and it needs a serious cleanup. Another glaring issue is the sanctioning fees that boxers have to pay to whichever organization holds their belt. Why should a fighter have to pay a fee just because they won? It’s ridiculous. If you win all four belts, you’re stuck paying four different sanctioning fees. That’s extortion, plain and simple.

Boxing would benefit from being unified under one organization, with maybe one or two belts at most. All these interim belts do nothing but confuse fans and take the spotlight away from the real champions. It’s no wonder fighters like Floyd Mayweather emphasized the importance of getting paid over chasing belts. You see fighters like Gervonta Davis following that exact blueprint today.

Boxing needs reform, and it needs it now. Until then, we’ll continue to see the sport we love mired in controversy, corruption, and bias.

‍