HBO Motivated To Usher in a New Generation of Stars

By Steve Kim

Boxing is now in a bit of a transition stage as it starts to work into 2016. Floyd Mayweather has recently retired - and is insisting it will stay that way - and Manny Pacquiao, at age 37, is claiming that his upcoming tussle with Tim Bradley on April 9th will be his last fight. The likes of Wladimir Klitschko and Miguel Cotto, who are both coming off losses, are respectively 39 and 37 years old.

It's clear that the sport and business must now usher in a new generation of prizefighters to carry the torch.

But Peter Nelson, the Executive Vice President of HBO Sports states:

"Critics make poor morticians, so a lot of times people have said 'boxing is dead' and this goes back every single era as long as you can go back. So I think the fans come to rally around a particular fight, fighters who have earned their way into the hearts and their respect and I don't think boxing is in any more transitory position right now than in any other era."

While that may be true, there is a saying that all good things must come to an end. Nelson's network is clearly preparing for the next wave of blue-chip boxers.

''It's a wide array that's out there right now," he says."There are burgeoning talents like (Felix) Verdejo, there are talents fighting with him like (Terence)Crawford, who's about to take the next step up to a bigger stage, leaving Omaha and now fighting in Madison Square Garden.

"I think there are fighters like Gennady Golovkin, who are in their early 30's but fight as if they're in their mid-20's. Then there are fighters like (Saul) 'Canelo' Alvarez who has a long professional career and he's just 25 years old at this point. So there's still a lot of room for growth."

Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com.