All you need to do to figure out why boxing purists can’t stand mixed martial arts is to give these people a quick once over with two open eyes.

It’s so quickly obvious that they are simply out of touch with the world around them.

Check out the informed opinions from HBO talking heads Jim Lampley and Larry Merchant and that’s all you need to know. In the aftermath of the technically sound but exceedingly boring De La Hoya-Mayweather fight, for no reason at all Lampley rattled off how exciting the whole scene was and that MMA couldn’t stand up against boxing. Lampley has also taken his share of shots at MMA while guest hosting for Jim Rome and simply won’t give the fast-growing sport a chance.

Merchant, who can’t seem to put a whole coherent sentence or question together in less than 10 minutes, is in the same boat. His rambles on the beauty of boxing, the whole “sweet science” rant, are tired, tired acts. Both Lampley and Merchant are stuck in the past – unwilling and unwavering on their view. They are grumpy old men who are seeing their sport get swept aside by the next generation’s game.

An interesting thought on all this. I wonder if they’ll change their tune when MMA finds a home on HBO – a certainty in the near future as ultimate fighting’s pay-per-view numbers and viewership soar while boxing’s fall faster and faster.

And from a personal perspective, I wonder if Sun Media columnist Murray Greig, another gripping-tightly-to-the-past boxing purist, will get it when he takes in a Maximum Fighting Championship card soon. I wrote about boxing for more than five years before I ever saw MMA live. Now I have to ask how can anyone still get excited by boxing?

On a world-wide stage, the true boxing spectacles like De La Hoya-Mayweather come along once in a blue moon. And in my opinion, the 24-7 preview epic about that fight was 10 times better than the actual fight itself which from my view was a dud. More often than not in MMA, the best want to fight the best – the champ against the No. 1 challenger. In boxing, it’s a minor miracle if that happens.

On the Canadian circuit, boxing is on life support and the plug is there to be pulled. From right here in Edmonton, the only thing keeping boxing going is a female world champion. Mixed martial arts here, courtesy of the MFC, has long since taken over, and the same can be said for pretty much everywhere else in the country.

An argument that was made against MMA was that there are no heroes, no one with a story worth following, no Ali that captured everyone’s attention.

First of all regarding the “Greatest”, Ali was, and is, an icon. There will never be another like him in any sport. The man stood up against a government and a war – impossible to top and no one will ever be bigger. But let’s get serious about who represents their sport better.

Face it, boxing. You’re full of gangsters, wannabe criminals (and more than enough actual criminals), and part-time rap stars. Yes, there are great athletes, but as special an athlete as say Floyd Mayweather is, he looks, sounds and acts more like a street-level thug. Hardly the guy you want as your pound-for-pound champion.

Now, MMA has its bad seeds. But the sport has more solid citizens than boxing by a huge margin. I have to look only as far as some of the fighters I personally know.

Take Jason MacDonald for example. Family man. Dedicated to his sport. Prior to fighting full-time, he kept criminals in line as a prison guard and continues to teach self-defence to guards. Genuinely likes meeting his fans and sells his sport in a first-class manner.

Take Ryan Lawley. Police officer who busts slum landlords and clears crack/meth dealers out of rundown houses. Kind of nice having a guy like that around. Oh, and he stood up for his sport while being grilled by his superiors and the media.

Take MFC newcomer Gerry Johnson. The guy is a firefighter, a job synonymous with bravery.

Take Patrick Cote. The guy served his country in war zone – something most people wouldn’t even consider. Wore a military uniform, fights with honour and is a quality likeable guy.

Take about 70% of MMA pros – graduated from post-secondary school. I’d hazard a bet boxing is about 10%.

These guys may not be “heroes” but they are damn sure worth more money, media exposure and respect than the vast majority of boxers. Their stories, their skills and their dedication all make them and MMA worth watching. The general public has caught on and most of mainstream media is finally taking notice.

THINGS THAT MAKE ME GO HMMMMM? Wondering what’s next for two guys who went toe to toe recently. MFC middleweight champion Patrick “The Predator” Cote needs to defend his title and he’ll be at MFC 12 – High Stakes cornering Fabio Holanda. Wouldn’t it be right for him to put his belt on the line soon? It’s certainly about time … Jason Day – couldn’t beat Victor Valimaki at 205, lost to Cote at 185, and refused to follow through on verbal agreement to face Roger Hollett. The path to nowhere seems to be his next route … And if Hollett gets past Tommy Lawlor at MFC 12, shouldn’t he be first in line for a crack at Valimaki’s MFC crown?

MYSTERIOUS MATRIX: Speaking of Valimaki, his bout at MFC 12 certainly qualifies both as a must-win and career-crossroads fight. He and opponent Marcus Hicks have verbally duked it out for quite some time and their clash is definite grudge match. Coming off a lackluster performance at the UFC event in Manchester, Valimaki needs a convincing win to, first, put a trap on Hicks’s mouth, and secondly, to cement himself as a major player in the light heavyweight ranks in Canada and for the opportunity to face bigger foes down the road. A Valimaki-Hollett matchup would be the ultimate All-Canuck showdown but the reigning champ needs to get his ‘A’ game (and training regimen) together – something that been far too inconsistent.