When did the general public stop caring about boxing?

[Kenny MF Powers]

It might be different living in Vegas since we are always bombarded by ads and billboards every time a fight is coming up, but it seems pretty healthy.

I mean the average person isnt a huge fight fan, but the bars are always packed and theres always a party going on to watch fights. Its more of a reason to get together though than watch the fight. I dont think the average person knows who is who, or who fought who etc.

As for the decline though, I have to agree with the posters above me. Too many belts, and lack of free fight coverage.

[SBleeder]

Have ONE champion at each weight

Good idea, but how? You can't force the WBC, IBF, and WBO to stop recognizing champions. And fighters would have less financial incentive to stay in the game if it were four times as difficult to become a world champion.

Not saying I don't long for the days of one title in eight weight classes, but I just can't see anyone going for it.

Plus, Paqtards' heads would explode, since Manny would then only be a world champion in two weight classes.

[New England]

they still care some. most young people know who manny pacquiao and floyd mayweather jr are.

i think that ppv and premium cable network coverage of top flight boxing has put a hurting on it some. it costs a lot of money to be a boxing fan, especially if you aren't streaming.

i also think that the lack of an exciting heavyweight division has a lot to do with it. a good heavyweight fight can turn on a dime. that's the nature of the division. it's inherently more exciting to the layman.

and finally, amateur boxing is a joke. the scoring system lends itself to the production of these awful defensive stylists who box for points instead of trying to do damage.

a ten point must system in the amateurs is, in my opinion, a must.


boxing goes through ebbs and flows. it always has and always will. boxing looked dead to rights until the oscar de la hoya and floyd mayweather fight. now manny and floyd are looking at making 50 mil + each and doing between two and three million in ppv buys. that's more than any fighter has ever made.

boxing is changing, but it will always go through cycles between a fully niche sport and a mainstream phenomenon for certain fights and fighters.



i do think that we're due for an american HW in the next 20 years with elite athletic talent and an actual boxing pedigree in the amateurs.

6'5" -6'8"
265 lbs lean
cross between lebron james and ray lewis. chin like a monster. power. speed.

he's out there. he might be one or two years old right now, but he's out there.

[Anthony342]

By general public you mean general US public right?

Yes I do..

[Anthony342]

they still care some. most young people know who manny pacquiao and floyd mayweather jr are.

i think that ppv and premium cable network coverage of top flight boxing has put a hurting on it some. it costs a lot of money to be a boxing fan, especially if you aren't streaming.

i also think that the lack of an exciting heavyweight division has a lot to do with it. a good heavyweight fight can turn on a dime. that's the nature of the division. it's inherently more exciting to the layman.

and finally, amateur boxing is a joke. the scoring system lends itself to the production of these awful defensive stylists who box for points instead of trying to do damage.

a ten point must system in the amateurs is, in my opinion, a must.


boxing goes through ebbs and flows. it always has and always will. boxing looked dead to rights until the oscar de la hoya and floyd mayweather fight. now manny and floyd are looking at making 50 mil + each and doing between two and three million in ppv buys. that's more than any fighter has ever made.

boxing is changing, but it will always go through cycles between a fully niche sport and a mainstream phenomenon for certain fights and fighters.



i do think that we're due for an american HW in the next 20 years with elite athletic talent and an actual boxing pedigree in the amateurs.

6'5" -6'8"
265 lbs lean
cross between lebron james and ray lewis. chin like a monster. power. speed.

he's out there. he might be one or two years old right now, but he's out there.

Cool thanks. I like your optimism.

[Anthony342]

Television dropping the sport, 4 major title belts in each weight class and too many weight classes I feel are the reasons as well. If Floyd Mayweather is so concerned with cleaning up the sport of boxing, then he'd see to this stuff as well, not just drug testing, but one title belt, the best fighting each other and major network coverage. But he just wants to make sure his opponents are on the level, not so much about the sport.

[Capaedia]

Television dropping the sport, 4 major title belts in each weight class and too many weight classes I feel are the reasons as well. If Floyd Mayweather is so concerned with cleaning up the sport of boxing, then he'd see to this stuff as well, not just drug testing, but one title belt, the best fighting each other and major network coverage. But he just wants to make sure his opponents are on the level, not so much about the sport.

What's Floyd gonna do about those things?

He's just one fighter.

Realistically nothing can be done about there being too many belts, or the extra weight classes.

Personally I don't think anything SHOULD be done about the weight classes. The more even the playing field, the better. When the time comes for a light-weight to move up a weight-class, he shouldn't expect to find the likes of Margarito or Paul Williams waiting for him.

[Anthony342]

Nothing, that's my point. He makes himself out to be on this big crusader to clean up boxing but really, what can he do or what does he really want to do, even after he retires? Agreed about the weight classes, but still, there's too many title belts and not enough TV coverage.

Remember when, on the local news, sportscasters used to show still photos of whatever big fight happened that night or that weekend? They don't even do THAT anymore.

And if nothing can be done, then I hope boxing continues to lose popularity until the people in charge do the right thing. I never pay for PPV fights anymore, hardly even feel the need to watch fights on HBO, sometimes ESPN 2 maybe. The only way to force change is to hit them in the wallets and even then, they'll still probably screw things up.

Oh well. At least I got my old bios and career sets on DVD to still watch and can catch some MMA fights from time to time.

[Capaedia]

He's doing more than any other fighter is, by pushing for better drug testing. That's all he really can do as a fighter.

Looks like it's working too.

Who knows? Maybe when he retires he'll do something good with Mayweather Productions, and get in on the TV market. I think Oscar is already planning to?

I definitely agree about there being too many belts.

[Southpaw Stinger]

Good idea, but how? You can't force the WBC, IBF, and WBO to stop recognizing champions. And fighters would have less financial incentive to stay in the game if it were four times as difficult to become a world champion.

Not saying I don't long for the days of one title in eight weight classes, but I just can't see anyone going for it.

Plus, Paqtards' heads would explode, since Manny would then only be a world champion in two weight classes.

Aye, theoretically it's easy to fix the sport. But to actually try to enforce these changes would be damn near impossible. The sport's evolved the way it has because it's financially lucrative for those who run it and broadcast it. Of course the fighters themselves have a better chance of getting a belt too.

Makes for an untidy, often hard sport to follow for the average fan. But it continues the way it is because there's plenty of cash to be made for the blokes in suits.