How would you improve the sport of Boxing?

Vaguely realistic suggestions only please. Here are mine. I love Boxing, but if you were to characterise the sport as a man, you'd have to say he'd let himself go. While the general public will still pay to see big stars and big fights, they do not care for the sport generally because they are confused by it - frankly I don't blame them. Here is my three step plan to slim down Boxing back into fighting shape: 1. Eradicate the sanctioning bodies and reset the organisational aspect of the sport as one world-recognised association in the same vein as FIFA for football/soccer or the ATP for men's Tennis. I'm not sure how this could be done, but perhaps international courts could be petitioned for the sake of the sport. It has been done in other sports, so it can be done with Boxing. Boxing needs to be a little totalitarian in that respect. The general public are confused by the multiple organisations and 'world titles'. Boxing needs ne belt for each division, with mandatories that actually mean something. Hype-job fighters hiding with an alphabet belt milking money while avoiding the best fighters would be a thing of the past, because the status of being a World champion is what brings in the big bucks they dine on. If you can't promote a fight as being a World title fight, you simply won't see that kind of revenue. We'd soon see hype-jobs actually take a shot at the best. 2. Eradicate the following divisions: cruiserweight, super middleweight, light middleweight, light welterweight, super featherweight, super bantamweight, super flyweight and light flyweight. Having that many divisions confuses the general public and gives a place for fighters to hide from other dangerous fighters, all the while claiming to be a world champion. While we'd be robbed of multiple multiple-division champions, at least fighters would have to face the best of their size in order to claim world championship status. Side Note: the light heavyweight division would be renamed something else to avoid confusion after the culling of the other 'light' divisions. 3. Revert amateur boxing back to how it was. It doesn't resemble the real thing right now and the public can't get excited by it. I'm fine with the headgear and the big gloves, but please take away that stupid scoring system and make fights into fights. The amateur ranks used to be the training ground of the greats and was very handy for promotion of the sport - it should be that way again. Anyone else got any suggestions? Or, do you like it the way it is?

Comments (20)

No ducking. If you're the #1 contender, you're forced to fight the belt holder. Everyone is forced to fight the best fighters all the time.

15y ago

Yael_The_Great

There should be more of a ladder type system, the best fighting and no ducking and dodging, although fighters should be able to negotiate their own deals, and super and lightweight classes should be eliminated.

15y ago

GoogleMe

Lamest thing in my eyes, are the 17 weightclass' and 4-10 belts pr division. I'm ok with 8-10 weightclass'. To go up 2 pounds, and become champion in a second weightclass' is just laughable. IBF, WBC and WBA is actually fine by me, if you just remove the superchamp, wbc silver belt and so on. 3 champions pr. weightclass seems ok to me, with only 8-10 weightclass'. This gives anyone an oppotunity to fight the best. Maybe push people to face eachother..

15y ago

fightingfigs

Needs to be more accesible. (Regular TV) One sanctioning body. No super, or Light divisons Better all around cards. Eliminate the "super" and "light" divisions Olympic style drug testing implemented create a tourney style championship ending each year.

15y ago

AllEyesOpen

1. An international governing body to oversee all testing, to make sure all testing remains consistant and up to date with the advancement of all PEDs. As well as OST for any title & title elimination bouts. I would love year-round testing, i just don't see how it could be done. 2. Replay use in-between rounds for any call by the Ref that is questionable, if any correction are needed, state them at the end of the following round, keeping the fighter from having to stop for any long period of time. I'll keep thinking.

15y ago

revs1227

one belt each weight class with forced defenses with large penaltys for not taking mandatorys i.e. if pac may dont fight they are suspended and fined same day weigh ins cheaper ticket prices to gather larger crowds holding large fights in large venues boxing on nationall tv more super six like tournaments !!!! somehow improve judging ???? instant replay legalized gambling on fights

15y ago

DGKallday

Not to sound like a douche but we're talkin about what we would do to improve/fix boxing, is there anything we can do now? (ie petition to dissolve the sanctioning bodies and establishing 1 governing body, eliminate weight classes, etc)?

15y ago

FeFist

Try and eliminate corruption in the game. To me the excitement is lost in a fight between a star and a lesser known fighter because they will usually get cheated on the score card. I'd try and limit promoters influence on fights. Perhaps limiting their involvement with the fighters and push them to promote the events instead. ( In reality this is impossible). A tournament of some sort to have the best facing the best.

15y ago

boxer2k5

the problem with boxing the main problem is that promotors care more bout their pockets than they care about making great fights. they hype fights and make them seem good but they know what they doing. now boxers are starting to promote themselves and it makes it bad because not only do they worry about their pockets but they are in charge of who they fight. the only fighters who fight anyone are the ones that are not in controll of their fights. if we had one body and one match maker 1 champion then there is no problems. boxing is still the best and great but as long as we have indivual promoters we will have these same problems

15y ago

Anthony342

I would add 2 things I have in mind without thinking muchthat haven't been mentionned : - have instant replays to change bad calls by the ref etc. - revise the way that fights are scored ; incorporate the possibility of scoring dominant rounds without KD 8/10 or 8.5/10. It would make for much more accurate decisions (it has been proven) ***Call the only world title just that like it used to be, the World title, no WBC or some bullshit like that And how about having judges' shitty decisions overturned later on. Like Holmes/Spinks 2 where many thought that Holmes clearly won or Holyfield/Lewis 1.

15y ago

Anthony342

First dump the sanctioning bodies and make one untouchable ruling body that is beyond reproach. No more buying ratings by promoters. A fighter has to earn his ranking by fighting other contenders. Without the profitable and corupt sanctioning bodies, each with their own champions. The sport would sky rocket. YES, or as Dirk Digger put it "Hello EXACTLY!"

15y ago

lefthook2daliva

If memory serves, the reason that they stopped same day weigh-ins was that the fighters were coming in dehydrated to the extent that they had insufficient amounts of Cerebrospinal fluid which is the liquid that your brain floats around in. Lack of that means more instances of brain hitting bone when you get punched in the head means more instances of brain damage... Got a better idea?

15y ago

AssasinKing

1 champion per division and champion defends against the number 1 ranked guy like UFC is set up. nomore multiple champions and one sanction body and everyone fights and work they way up fight champion. more tv coverage maybe a weekly boxingscene type show. maybe a boxing channel with loads of coverage and past fights so new fans can get a chance to see some great fights. more merchandise. every other sport has jerseys and clothes shoes and all kinds of stuff. boxing needs more merchandise. i see MMA shorts and shirts in walmart. like boxing needs to step up Love that point... It would make the best fight the best...and would stop all these stupid excuses to duck one another

15y ago

AssasinKing

I dont know much about the really bad underlying things that need to be improved... But I personally think weigh ins should be done on the day....I know this can effect events happening, and the money being generated... But seriously, u got 165-170 pounders at 147..... that just aint right It should be natural weight class against the same natural weight class I mean, yeah it does make the preperation less important, and making weight and doing all the calculations has become a part of the sport, but its just not the real weight classes they should be fighting at... Imagine Pac or Floyd fighting people like Hatton all day long, they would demolish the weight division

15y ago

boxer2k5

15y ago

UrGonnaLooos

$$$$ 60% to the winner 40% to loser $$$$

15y ago

915

Get rid of suleiman

15y ago

Bushbaby

Have only 1 championship belt and Interim Belt a division. Reason I would keep Interim? For the secound place/class fighters wanting to get it on. This change alone would improve boxing greatly!!If there was 1 welterweight champion right now,Pacman & Floyd wouldn't have a choice but to fight!!But being how boxing is,all the different belts & such,they can simply avoid each other!!

15y ago

cooper5

15y ago

DempseyMarciano

An overall comission. Or like what was posted above, one sanctioning body.

15y ago