Two daffy post-fight interviews this weekend probably did some damage to the careers of the boxers interviewed, but damn if they weren’t funny.
Up top, there’s welterweight Prenice Brewer complaining about his decision loss to Ronald Cruz Friday. NBC Sports’ Freddie Roach wasn’t alone in scoring the fight lopsidedly against Brewer, but Brewer nonetheless took the opportunity to accuse Roach’s fighter Manny Pacquiao of using steroids. Then he threw in the word “shit” on cable TV. Magnificent. [UPDATE: Brewer has subsequently apologized.]
Saturday, cruiserweight Lateef Kayode might’ve upstaged Brewer with his own two-part bit of comedy after a draw against Antonio Tarver. In what sounded like the ravings of a maniac, Kayode offered the great quote “I FUCK HE UP!” Then, he blamed the draw on favoritism, what with Tarver being a commentator on Showtime when he’s not a boxer — and said a rematch should happen on Showtime rival HBO. Brilliant. Showtime boxing boss Stephen Espinoza has already indicated that Kayode won’t be back on the network. (We’ll put up the video when and if we can.)
Among athletes, boxers ought to get a pass for some of the things they say after a fight, especially if they lose consciousness, because a bashing about the noggin can make strange things come out of a man’s mouth. The problem for Brewer and Kayode is that they were already on the verge of not getting back on TV as-is. Brewer didn’t wow anyone with some kind of noble performance during a loss. Kayode has largely been viewed as a Showtime creation, a boxer no one might be interested in unless Showtime was foisting him upon us — and however much better he looked than anyone might’ve expected, I’m not sure there’s a big clamor to see him again.
Kayode apologized, wisely. You hope that if either man is left off televised boxing programs in the future, it’s for boxing reasons, not because of their interviews. Heck, maybe the interviews ought to get them a second chance. After all, in both cases, the most entertaining part of Kayode’s and Brewer’s performances weren’t what they did in the ring, but what they said afterward.
