I don’t get to the fights like I used to. Understanding a fight fully, by relating to it on a sensory level, as a lived experience, is lost as a result. The atmosphere is a vital part of the story. Whether rousing a fallen hero or setting the tone as a villain walks to the apron, a crowd, large, or small, may not be able to win a fight, but it can draw back a boxer on the brink of defeat and it can even the odds for an underdog. As such, a ring side press seat offers a perspective for reporting that cannot be mimicked on a sofa. Despite the improved impartiality and the clearer view this affords.

Opting out of the ringside experience, or not being asked a wag at the back may suggest, has also removed the opportunity to observe many of the vignettes available for those minded to stay abreast of those people stories that exist on the periphery of a boxing match.