ALL ACCESS - Scripted. Fake. Phony.

According to Showtime Sports, “All Access” provides viewers with an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at boxing champions as they prepare for their next epic showdown. 

Now intimate is defined as closely acquainted, private and personal… all adjectives that signify an authentic and deep look at the lives of two fighters leading up to a highly anticipated event.  The show is billed as “behind-the-scenes” not “reality television”… there’s a difference. 

Floyd Mayweather Jr. was called before the Nevada State Athletic Commission early Tuesday regarding a few incriminating scenes in the award winning “All-Access: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2”.  His response was simple… it was all fake.  A hoax.  Scripted for entertainment purposes. 

The 31-minute sparring sessions? Fake.  His female associates blazin’ up? False. Gambling on the “dog-house” fights? Nope.

What once was looked at as a cutting-edge view into the pre-fight process has been unveiled to be nothing more than boxing’s version of WWE Raw Backstage Pass. 

Those in defense of “All Access” and the scripting of the show offer up the argument that ALL reality television is scripted to a point.  My response is just as simple… it’s not needed.  To be a successful prizefighter on a stage big enough to warrant a “behind-the-scenes” series is a marvel in itself.  The training, preparation and lifestyle of the fighters are enough to satisfy the public’s interest.  We want more grit and less flash.  More Rocky in Russia and less Apollo in a top hat.  More substance and less fabrication. 

Will the public continue to tune in to “All Access” for Floyd Mayweather’s next bout? There’s no doubt.  It’s obvious that they’re catering to a younger audience who is enamored by the gaudy lifestyle that’s attached to “Money May”. 

Unfortunately, the show may have lost the hardcore fight fan.  It’s one thing to sift through Floyd’s Bugattis, private jets and ostentatious persona for a glimpse into his rigorous training regimen… but when the validity of every moment captured on screen is in question, it defeats the entire premise of the show.  

Follow me on Twitter: @RLMalpica