Can USA boxing upper weight boxing be fixed?

[Dr Z]

It is a mess. A crash from what it was in the 1990's.

So what is needed to fix things?

• A big time USA promoter is a start. Or a boxing fan with a lot of money to spare.
• Past living former very good to great fighters active in the media scene and fight game.
• Hungry and talented fighters are lacking but needed. A big problem with no grade A prospects at Heavyweight, Cruiser, and Light heavyweight.
• Risk taking by the fighters and promoters. There are plenty of young fighters. The USA prospects should face each other first.

Or is the international competition to great?

[Willow The Wisp]

Good thoughts.
The US (and indeed, global) programs are tasked with convincing young people that they should fight for nothing. From a sociological perspective, this is more difficult than it was in the past.

[Dr Z]

A fighter fights for the love of combat and the money a.k.a opportunity. Sometimes he fights for a creed. I just do not see USA upperweight boxing being good for the next 10 years.

The USA has the ingredients, but something is missing.

[billeau2]

Good thoughts.
The US (and indeed, global) programs are tasked with convincing young people that they should fight for nothing. From a sociological perspective, this is more difficult than it was in the past.

Yup... Different time, different level of toughness...

[Anomalocaris]

Since the Iron Curtain came down the US no longer had a virtual monopoly as a Yorkshire bloke I remember the endless jingoistic s*it spouted about Lewis by the US press.

Plus the net has made the world a much smaller place.

For example how many would have even heard of Berbetiev, Bivol, Inue etc in the '80's and '90's?

[GhostofDempsey]

The talent pool just isn't deep enough with American fighters for American fans to care. How many Americans are ranked in the top ten of HW division? At a glance it appears to be zero. Novelty fights are in demand, but will eventually fizzle out. Then what?

[Marchegiano]

The talent pool just isn't deep enough with American fighters for American fans to care. How many Americans are ranked in the top ten of HW division? At a glance it appears to be zero. Novelty fights are in demand, but will eventually fizzle out. Then what?

**** I wish but you out of touch old gin.

In fact most of the target demo in America pays such little attention to boxing they are unaware the US doesn't dominate HW boxing.

They ain't watch Mike vs Jake, they had that play on their TVs while they commented on one another's insta.

My gen watched UFC over boxing mostly but these kids watch video games. They don't give a **** about fighting. UFC has been losing numbers for like a decade now. They too busy watching fortnite and tiktok and ****.



**** man, have any of you considered, do the youth in America even have the attention span to sit and watch 36 mins?



Second screen kids are the worst fans. I think I'd rather the British run the show a while.

[Anomalocaris]

**** I wish but you out of touch old gin.

In fact most of the target demo in America pays such little attention to boxing they are unaware the US doesn't dominate HW boxing.

They ain't watch Mike vs Jake, they had that play on their TVs while they commented on one another's insta.

My gen watched UFC over boxing mostly but these kids watch video games. They don't give a **** about fighting. UFC has been losing numbers for like a decade now. They too busy watching fortnite and tiktok and ****.



**** man, have any of you considered, do the youth in America even have the attention span to sit and watch 36 mins?



Second screen kids are the worst fans. I think I'd rather the British run the show a while.

One thing about British boxing fans is that we really get behind our favourite fighters.

I will never forget Fury's entrance v White.

The atmosphere was simply electric.

I do love that Joshua proved what a total w*nker he really is. That toddler tantrum after the second Usyk fight was pure comedy gold.

[GhostofDempsey]

**** I wish but you out of touch old gin.

In fact most of the target demo in America pays such little attention to boxing they are unaware the US doesn't dominate HW boxing.

They ain't watch Mike vs Jake, they had that play on their TVs while they commented on one another's insta.

My gen watched UFC over boxing mostly but these kids watch video games. They don't give a **** about fighting. UFC has been losing numbers for like a decade now. They too busy watching fortnite and tiktok and ****.



**** man, have any of you considered, do the youth in America even have the attention span to sit and watch 36 mins?



Second screen kids are the worst fans. I think I'd rather the British run the show a while.

I think the two go hand-in-hand. Young fans aren't as interested in boxing, but there also aren't many fighters to spark their interest. Even young fighters of their generation who have some buzz around them like Tank Davis are cherry picking and only fighting once per year. Ryan Garcia has a strong following but there just aren't enough competitive fights to be made with household names. Most younger people are going to be drawn to MMA and other big league sports. Even some of the big league sports are seeing lower ratings and less interest among zoomers. As you said, they'd rather play video games and live in a virtual reality. I can't recall the last time I saw kids playing any type of sports in the streets.

Another factor is how expensive it is to attend a live sporting event. The price of tickets, parking, concession, merch is pricing out a lot of fans old and young. Less people are subscribing to cable television as well. Too expensive and more potential viewers have dropped their subscriptions by at least 20% or more over the last decade.

[DeeMoney]

**** I wish but you out of touch old gin.

In fact most of the target demo in America pays such little attention to boxing they are unaware the US doesn't dominate HW boxing.

They ain't watch Mike vs Jake, they had that play on their TVs while they commented on one another's insta.

My gen watched UFC over boxing mostly but these kids watch video games. They don't give a **** about fighting. UFC has been losing numbers for like a decade now. They too busy watching fortnite and tiktok and ****.



**** man, have any of you considered, do the youth in America even have the attention span to sit and watch 36 mins?



Second screen kids are the worst fans. I think I'd rather the British run the show a while.

Ive worked in education with teenagers in America for the last 25 years. There are a fair amount of boxing fans among kids here, but it definitely does not match the popularity of major team sports out here. However, its been that way for awhile. I remember hearing the same stuff 20 year ago, about how other sports were pulling talent away from what used to go to boxing; this is probably true.

Top athletic talent (and yes whether or not we want to admit it, boxers are athletes and those who make it to the pinnacle need to be great natural athletes) who would be in the upper weight classes are more likely going to choose one of the major team sports. Especially now with NIL money being offered to collegiate athletes. Many major D1 football and basketball programs add on six figures of NIL money to the already valuable college scholarship. Parents know this, and they are funneling their children towards those sports. I know there are other sports in Europe as well, but I feel soccer far ahead as the favorite, and in general I think NFL and NBA players are more on par with heavy weight boxers, ergo more of an impact in the US

Not to mention, how much boxing hurts itself by putting everything on ppv, and by rarely having the best fight each other. Imagine if the winners of the upcoming NFL conference championships decided to marinate the superbowl out for a few months, then made you pay and extra $100 to watch it.