“I believe in the man,” Dirrell told Fighthype about White. “I just don’t know how ugly it’s going to be if he tries to make it happen.”
Dirrell pointed to recent experiences around events that take place under that structure, where fighters are quickly moved on once their fight is over. There is no return to the locker room, no time to sit with the result or gather possessions at their own pace. Win or lose, the night ends abruptly.
He described fighters being singled out immediately after leaving the locker room, with their gear packed separately and waiting on the way out. Even those in the main events were not treated differently. Once the fight ended, the process was the same. You leave, get your stuff and go.
In his opinion, that approach reflects a level of efficiency that may conflict with how boxing traditionally operates. The sport has long allowed space for fighters to recover, talk to trainers and absorb the outcome before stepping back into the public stream. Removing that part entirely would change more than just logistics.
Dirrell does not dismiss the effort to reform the sport. He expects that changes will come and accepts that not all of boxing’s existing habits need to remain in place. At the same time, he believes that some parts of the structure still serve a purpose and should not be stripped away in the drive to modernize.
“There are a lot of ways in boxing that will have to continue,” Dirrell said, while acknowledging that adjustments are inevitable as new ideas are tested.
The balance, as he sees it, will come down to how far those changes go and how quickly they are implemented. A system built on control and tempo can work, but boxing doesn’t start from scratch. It’s a sport with routines that fighters are used to, especially in the moments right after a fight when the physical and emotional toll is still fresh.
Dirrell expects White to keep pushing regardless of early setbacks, describing him as someone unlikely to back down once he commits to a direction. That persistence can eventually pay off. It can also mean a stretch where the process seems awkward before settling down.
Dirrell doesn’t question the intent. He watches it play out, knowing that in boxing even necessary change can come at a price that first appears behind the scenes.
