Purpose and Integrity.

I’m sure you heard about the fight Friday night. Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. I will be watching. I’m sure there will be a lot of people watching. (Should be interesting at the very least. I think I would hate to see Iron Mike get KO’d.)

Yet, I find it a little … what’s the word … lacking value? Don’t get me wrong, I love the sport. I remember watching boxing with my brothers, uncles, and my cousin Bobby. I remember Tyson biting “The Real Deal’s” ear off. I admired how Evander spoke about boxing and God with purpose and seemed to have integrity. Now that caught my attention. I was also the little girl who would ask my grandma to read and reread the David and Goliath story to me before bed. I loved a hero. But a hero with a purpose? Unmatchable. Course, David was not always of excellent moral character. Not one of us is. After the fame got to his head, he started taking what wasn’t his. He started getting lost in the hype, perhaps?

In today’s celebrity boxing culture, it’s easy for fighters to get lost in the hype, focusing on building a persona rather than an (honorable) legacy. But when fighters embrace purpose and integrity, they leave a lasting impact. They show that true strength isn’t just physical but also mental and moral. For me, it’s these qualities that make a fighter memorable and worth rooting for, far beyond the allure of spectacle. I’m hungry for one of these guys to CHANGE and give me something made with substance. Imagine … Mike Tyson: From Fame to Faith. Or Jake Paul: The Redemption Arc. Then they go and take their platform and do something lasting for the world with it. That would be cool. That’s what I’m hungry for.

Fighting with purpose and integrity transforms boxing (and life) from mere entertainment into something powerful. It gives us a reason to respect fighters not just for their skills but for who they are and what they stand for, reminding us all that courage, honor, and authenticity are the true marks of a champion.

Who's got their eyes on the ring this Friday? Are you team Tyson or Paul, or just there for the spectacle?