No one should watch DMX fight George Zimmerman
OPINION - Even if you are someone who believes in Zimmeran’s self-defense claims, it still feels wrong to use that infamy as a means to enter into a pop culture niche that is normally filled with long forgotten singers and actors...
I will not be watching the “celebrity” boxing match that is reportedly happening between George Zimmerman and DMX
Zimmerman is only a household name in the U.S. because he was found not guilty in a jury trial concerning the shooting death of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin. That makes him more of an infamous figure than a celebrity.
The man was found not guilty in a court of law, so he can do as he pleases. However, you would think Zimmerman would quietly enjoy his freedom and try to live as normal a life as possible. Nope. Zimmerman has decided to capitalize on his ill-gotten fame and make money off it.
Even if you are someone who believes in Zimmerman’s self-defense claims, it still feels wrong to use that infamy as a means to enter into a pop culture niche that is normally filled with long forgotten singers and actors.
The boxing match is a three-round pay-per-view event set up by promoter Damon Feldman who has set up matches in the past with the likes of Tonya Harding, Michael Lohan and others. Feldman confirmed the Zimmerman-DMX match-up in a release reported by CNN this morning. Feldman said DMX was selected out of 15,000 emailed requests.
Earlier this week, Feldman boasted to theGrio about Zimmerman’s enthusiasm for the fight. “He told me he always had a passion for boxing and wanted to do a match,” Feldman told theGrio.
Promoters for the fight have been disgusting and fanning horrible rumors. Just a few days ago before DMX was chosen as the opponent, fight promoters reportedly told TMZ that Zimmerman wanted to get in the ring with Kanye West because West has a history of attacking “defenseless people.” This would perhaps be in reference to West’s numerous paparazzi dust-ups and his most recent encounter with a man who allegedly called West’s finacé a “ni**er lover.”
For the promoters to say that Zimmerman takes umbrage with someone who attacks “defenseless people” is deplorable. Who knows if Zimmerman ever said that, but the fact that the promoters did, shows their lack of tact.
For those of you who justify watching the fight because you want to see Zimmerman get pummeled in the ring, you might want to hold off on that. He is not fighting a professional boxer like Floyd Mayweather or a gym rat like The Game, who was eager to put his 6’5, 240-pound frame in the ring with Zimmerman. The selected opponent is DMX, a man who has had very public struggles with drugs and alcohol over the past few years and whose behavior is perhaps best put into the “unpredictable” category.
Are we going to get crying DMX? Are we going to get barking DMX? Are we going to get Christmas classic remixing DMX? Maybe we’ll get hotel streaking DMX?
Ladies and gentlemen, there is not a clear winner in this match-up despite DMX saying he wants to urinate on Zimmerman’s face.
Regardless of who the opponent is, nobody should be watching a Zimmerman “celebrity” boxing match. It’s one thing to have a guilty pleasure of laughing at D-list celebrities get in the ring and fight. It’s a whole other matter when we’re talking about George Zimmerman. This isn’t someone who was a one-hit wonder in 90s pop music or was a teen heartthrob 15 years ago.
George Zimmerman was the controversial center of a case that splayed this country’s racial wounds wide open. He should not be rewarded for that and watching this pay-per-view fight is doing just that.
A press conference about the fight will take place next week. Join me in not watching this debacle.
Incidentally, today would have been Trayvon Martin’s 19th birthday.
Follow Demetria Irwin on Twitter at @Love_Is_Dope and connect with her on Facebook.
