Will putting boxing on mainstream TV make it a big sport again in America?

[Felixtito]

I honestly think it would.
I'm not just talking about big cards on FOX, NBC,ABC Etc. I'm talking about putting the super prospects on mainstream so the fans can grow with them.


I remember reading this boxing article and one part was saying how the fans and general public grew with Tommy Hearns and Leonard. They were there when Hearns started as a 147 fighter and they were there when he went into his last super fight against Leonard as a 168LBER.


Ward-Dawson did what? 1 Million views on HBO? I know Ward isn't the most exciting of fighters,but if promoted right, if you put Ward-Dawson on a Friday night Fox slot, there is no way it's doing less than Hockey numbers.




Here are some notes of interest.

16 Million people in England watched Nigel Benn vs Chris Eubank.
That is an amazingly high % of the country. 16 million.

Over 50% of every household in America tuned in for Ali-Shavers because it was put on Main stream TV. If you had Ali-Shavers on a 'PPV' Type program it will still do big numbers, but there is no way half the country will tune in.

[sdcluser]

uh...yeah...

Why didnt NFL just do PPV?

If Boxing is more mainstream, a lot of these robberies will be investigated further. But at this point, no many ppl mainstream give a ****.

[ElBossHogg™]

it will have to be on mainstream for years to become back at its peak. and HBO and Showtime wont allow that. They will pay the fighters more if they have to just so they will fight on their networks.

[HUGEBOXINGFAN]

ya it will and also Boxing is much better shape now in the US than it was in 2006.

[sdcluser]

it will have to be on mainstream for years to become back at its peak. and HBO and Showtime wont allow that. They will pay the fighters more if they have to just so they will fight on their networks.

then the status of boxing will continue in this country....unless arum or gbp bites the dust first....but even if TR or GBP vanishes, another promoter step in....

[TheUptownKid]

boxing won't become more mainstream until the fighters fans want to see fight more than once a year. Until the fights fans want to see are consistently made. Until fights become more accessible for the fan at home on a live basis. The reason other sports are huge is because of the nationalism aspect, where people can say he grew up around here, I saw him in hs, I can go see him play less than 2 hours away this weekend. Boxing doesn't have that but can obtain it with some work

[coghaugen]

I split my time between UK and US in the 80s and it was awesome - boxing on free TV on both sides of the Atlantic multiple times a week!!!!