We can only hope
www.InsideBoxing.com

By Rick Folstad

You keep thinking it's a joke, one of those knee slappers your buddies are always pulling. When you finally hear the punchline, when you realize they pulled a fast one on you, all you can do is smile and say, ``man, you guys really got me good. Great joke.''

Ali-Frazier IV?
Sure. Right after Willie Pep unifies the featherweight division. As soon as Secretariat captures another Belmont. Heard about Broadway Joe? He's throwing again. Frazier and Ali. Aren't they over the hill?

Friday night, when legitimate boxing fans are watching Friday Night Fights on ESPN2, a comedy act will be performing live on stage at the Turning Stone Casino Resort in Verona, N.Y. It's part of the International Boxing Hall of Fame Induction weekend, a little special entertainment for the old-time fight crowd. Bet they're going to love this show.

Much like Lucy and Desi, the two main characters in this colorful farce are going to be at odds with each other, causing the audience to shake their heads in disbelief and laugh out loud. ``Oh, that crazy Lucy.''

The production will feature the delightful antics of Laila Ali and Jacqui Frazier-Lyde, the intelligent, attractive daughters of  Muhammad and Joe, women who know a good thing when a promoter hands it to them.

They will be facing each other in the prize ring for more money than many top, legitimate pros will make in their entire careers.

You've come a long way, baby.

If you've got 30 bucks and a sense of humor, maybe you want to tune into this  thing, watch the drama play out in the relative comfort and privacy of your  living room.

Just make sure you pull the blinds and turn down the volume. You don't want your nosy neighbor laughing at you when he realizes you're  paying good money to watch two over-rated women boxers try to slug it out.  He'll never let you forget it.

If you do get caught, tell him you're a big Bronco McKart fan.  Supposedly, he's also on the fight card, though I haven't seen him on any magazine covers or heard his name mentioned around the company water cooler.

The two women, who recently made the cover of TV Guide, both come into this melodrama undefeated. But don't jump to conclusions.  Together, they've won only 16 fights, mostly against bored women who just wanted a reason to get out of the house.

Besides, they shouldn't be calling this a fight. It shouldn't be listed under sports in the TV section. It should be listed under documentaries. Call it, ``P.T. Barnum: Alive and Well in Verona.''

What's important here are last names and gender. They count for more than talent, experience or fighting style. They open doors and sell tickets, though most of the buyers don't know the difference between an uppercut and a paper cut.

The sad thing is, we've gone from the fight of the century with the first Ali-Frazier fight, to fraud of the week with Ali-Frazier IV.

And who had the gall to name this thing Ali-Frazier IV? That's like calling a bar fight, World War III. Did the schmuck even see any of the first three fights? In case he forgot, they were all epic battles between two legendary heavyweights who came close to dying in their wars.

Ali-Frazier IV , meanwhile, is a carnival act between one woman who is a lawyer and one who wants to be an actress. Boxing isn't even their regular job. It's part-time work, a sideline. Yet media from all over the world will be at ringside. And they won't be there to watch Bronco McKart.

You can't blame Laila or Jacqui for reaching for the golden ring when it's offered. They'd be fools not to. But you know someone is getting a pretty good laugh over this, pissing on our boot and telling us it's rain.
 
What this fight could do is set women's boxing back 25 years,  back to the time when there were no women boxers.

We can only hope.

You can reach Rick Folstad at folstad@insideboxing.com