I’m basically a live and let live guy. For example, when Ellen asks John McCain to walk her down the aisle, I think he should do it as a matter of courtesy. Generally I believe that people can stand up for themselves and protect their individual rights, and still maintain a sense of propriety.
In public I call gentlemen “Sir” and ladies “M’aam,” even if I’m returning milk that tastes like rocket fuel or I’m the 31st person in the express lane. It’s just my opinion that there is no excuse to be lacking in social refinement, and I try to live life in this manner, with the possible exception of some telemarketers.
I also believe that there is a place for an intelligent, thoughtful, informative press release. If it announces upcoming fights, gives background information, fight quotes, or anything beneficial to a reader, I’m for it.
Unfortunately, I think that on occasion some of these press releases actually hurt websites more than help them because when we print every piece of drivel cranked out by ambitious publicists and promoters, advertising is therefore discouraged. You know what happens when you get the milk for free.
Further, there seems to be more and more outright trash talk masquerading as a press release, and as we’ve seen lately, this also appears in the form of “open letters” or fighter statements that have obviously been written by surrogates. These are generally written to create interest in a potential fight or simply an opportunity by a promotional company to boost the sales of an upcoming bout.
For the most part these are one sided tirades of little consequence that give the promoters the free advertising that we previously referenced. On occasion, favored websites are given exclusive interviews with promoters or superstars to get out a message, the questions always softballs and predictably no hard follow up questions are asked.
There have been fighters who not only don’t speak English but have never seen the inside of a high school. Yet with the help of a creative publicist, they publish material that makes them sound like Alistair Cooke. In reality, some of these guys might not be able to spell “cat” if you spotted them the C&T.
Fans, if you go to your favorite website and read an article that has “For Immediate Release” under the title, trust me it should not be taken as gospel. Some of these PR guys and gals are very creative as well as entertaining and know how to twist a word. Their job is to promote the best interests of their clients.
The concept of athletes, politicians, and entertainers using a ghost writer is not exactly a new one, so the fact that someone would speak for them in a press release should not be considered as unethical. After all, it’s no worse than a housewife who refuses to leave the house without her makeup or the Hollywood star who relies on Botox to protect their youthful image.
Recently we wrote an article, “Charming Correspondence,” concerning a press release entitled “An Open Letter from Nate Campbell to Richard Schaeffer.” Campbell was identified as the author, but our sources credited Terry Trekas of One Punch Productions, Campbell’s co-promoter along with Don King, as the author of the piece.
Now we have this ugly escalating war of words between Joan Guzman and Campbell that has crossed the line as I see it. Ricardo Mayorga called Oscar De La Hoya a maricon in delivering his special brand of trash talk, but he still falls short of these guys.
Guzman was scheduled to fight Alex Arthur on May 3 to defend his WBO 130 pound title. After that fight was postponed, Guzman vacated the title and moved to the lightweight division.
So on May 15th the press release was headlined, “Joan Guzman Sets Sights On WBO 135 Pound Champion Nate Campbell.”
Campbell was married on the 17th and on the 21st the headline read, “Joan Guzman: Nate Campbell, Your Honeymoon is Over, I’m Coming For You.’”
Guzman referenced the picture of Nate and his bride “in their cute, white, wedding outfits.”
On the same day a press release from “Campbell” rips Guzman for his “disrespectful comments,” and refers to him as “Joanie herself” and “she.”
This was followed by the following on a well known website, posted by “Team Guzman.” “Guzman” writes that he thanked Nate (Okay, adults only from this point) “for allowing his wife to take a break from using the strap-on during their honeymoon.”
It goes on to say that, “Nate obviously has an easier time beating up women than he does men. Does he not remember punching and choking his former girlfriend before pulling a gun on her. [?]”
(Those charges were dropped in court.)
Later on he adds that Nate should “get in the ring with a real fighter like me and stop crying like a bitch about the past.”
Naturally, there was a response. In “The War of Words Continues: Campbell Hits Back At Guzman,” “Campbell” writes that, “I didn’t say one thing about your husband,” refers to Guzman as a “Ho” and “Being down on your knees,” says “You should just keep Schaeffer’s sack in your mouth and shut up,” and completes his venomous article by writing, “It’s not polite to talk with your mouth full. Every bitch should know that much.”
I think that, all things considered, this has escalated far beyond an acceptable level on both sides. It’s bad for the sport and really has no place in a boxing website.
Personally, I find it offensive on so many levels that it’s difficult to know where to begin. This is hardly mere sporting smack talk and you certainly couldn’t find anything like it in any reputable newspaper.
Now I’m just a columnist who offers one man’s opinion. I don’t control the content here. But I must say that while I’m sure that at some time our site has probably been guilty of printing something that someone would find objectionable, I honestly can’t recall in almost four years here anything as repugnant as the material that I’m quoting here. If I did I would renounce it.
In addition to the unwelcome content that marked this so called war of words, it further illustrates how easily some websites can be manipulated to present an individual or group with a free forum to achieve their personal goals.
Those of us who write and/or publish in the internet community might do well to maintain the same journalistic integrity as any mainstream newspaper, and take out the garbage.