Why is UK boxing more popular?

[lesov]

I would guess because professional wresting was never very popular in a first place in UK. And many MMA fans actually moved to MMA from pro wrestling.

[hayZ]

MMA is bigger here in the UK I think. Participation is increasing as more clubs open having developed from 'classes' in other venues. There's less overheads to start out as both a club and fighter, dont need space for a ring, etc, and can pretty quickly be getting fights which pull in decent sized crowds. Thats actually pushed boxing further out, I often hear lads say boxing is p###y, and a take down would finish so n so.

As for boxing being more popular here than the US, is it? per 1000 population I'd imagine its similar, and wouldn't participation for US immigrant descent communities be higher too?

Not at all. No one on the street knows Bisping or Pearson etc. The cost to learn MMA is more than Boxing. Boxing gyms are known to be very cheap, if you want to learn MMA you have to learn a lot of different styles each with their own techniques. The boom period of MMA here in the UK is gone, the UFC did a lot of marketing and promotion here in the UK years ago but it didn't catch on which is why we get a fight night card here and there at best nowadays.

Ricky Hatton, Amir Khan, David Haye, Bruno, Lewis, Eubank, Naz, Benn and so on are household names here in the UK. The Froch v Groves fight did 80K, do you think an MMA event here could do anything close to that? Even if it was stacked top to bottom?

The UK has always been very supportive of their athletes for the most part.

[Ray Corso]

It's a tiny little country, everything gets magnified! Most of the boxing stars stay in their country and are protected there too. After boxing "safe" opponents they graduate to former stars who are way past their primes.
If they remain in the UK they become national hero's when they venture out to take on equal or better competitors they usually get knocked out!
In my opinion the up and comers there need to be in Italy and Germany when their on their 15th bout so they get the experience that fighters in the USA get from going to state to state or crossing the country! Home cooking tastes good but you need to be happy and experienced on the road too.
Ray.

[D-MiZe]

I get the feeling you were sodomised by an English sailor, Ray.

Italy and Germany have no boxers, you need to get with the times.

[STEELHEAD]

It's a tiny little country, everything gets magnified! Most of the boxing stars stay in their country and are protected there too. After boxing "safe" opponents they graduate to former stars who are way past their primes.
If they remain in the UK they become national hero's when they venture out to take on equal or better competitors they usually get knocked out!
In my opinion the up and comers there need to be in Italy and Germany when their on their 15th bout so they get the experience that fighters in the USA get from going to state to state or crossing the country! Home cooking tastes good but you need to be happy and experienced on the road too.
Ray.

youve said it best!

[Ray Corso]

"sodomized"? seriously? Are you taking elroys place as the resident azzhole?

Reference to Germany & Italy were for boxing cards to bring the UK boxers to so they can gain experience fighting away from their "home cooking"!

Thank you steelhead, I am experienced in Europe and have made many trips there between 1972 though 1987, fought in UK, Germany, Italy and Monaco.

D-Mize stay adult ok, talking like a kid just gets you ignored.

Ray

[D-MiZe]

"sodomized"? seriously? Are you taking elroys place as the resident azzhole?

Reference to Germany & Italy were for boxing cards to bring the UK boxers to so they can gain experience fighting away from their "home cooking"!

Thank you steelhead, I am experienced in Europe and have made many trips there between 1972 though 1987, fought in UK, Germany, Italy and Monaco.

D-Mize stay adult ok, talking like a kid just gets you ignored.

Ray

British prospects do fight somewhat frequently in Germany. Italy hasn't had any relevant fighters for a while. USA is a popular place for our prospects to fight on the undercard of our more well known fighters.

UK is the capital of Europe for boxing.

Recently, Leonard Bundu (an Italian) came over here and fought one of our better prospects, Frankie Gavin. Bundu beat him in a close fight and was awarded the decision. 'Homecooking' rarely happens here compared to places like US, Germany etc.

I understand what you're saying but the rest of Europe is not big enough on boxing for it to be plausible to send our prospects there. Monaco has appeared recently and this weekend will see 3 out of the 5 fights there featuring a British boxer.

I may have been crass in my reply to you originally but all I ever see when you talk about British boxers is 'home cooking' and being 'bums'.

[Ray Corso]

bums? I NEVER use that expression unless I'm referring to certain "fans"!

Point being get away from the UK so they gain experience if they reach the level where their capable of international work.

I don't degrade men who box, I may not like a certain style or think their over rated but I don't deny them respect as long as their efforts are genuine.
Ray

[D-MiZe]

bums? I NEVER use that expression unless I'm referring to certain "fans"!

Point being get away from the UK so they gain experience if they reach the level where their capable of international work.

I don't degrade men who box, I may not like a certain style or think their over rated but I don't deny them respect as long as their efforts are genuine.
Ray

Alright, maybe you call 'em tomato cans. It's something that denotes their lack of talent.

I know what you're saying but there isn't money in Europe outside of the UK & Germany. Why would a British promoter put his British fighters on a card in Latvia when he's going to make a 1/50th of what he would in the UK.

The problem you highlight isn't due to a lack of experience fighting away from home. The problem with a lot of British boxers is they're given soft touches. Promoters over here build confidence, not fighters.

They get to 20-0 fighting poor opponents that aren't even European level and are then thrown in with contenders for world titles. Ticket sellers are valued over competent boxers.

Either way, for a country our size with a small interest in boxing - we do very well.

Just some fun trivia too;

Carl Froch and David Haye were the first British boxers to win any amateur world championship medal back in 2001. Silver for Haye, Bronze for Froch. In 2007, Frankie Gavin became the first British boxer to win a gold medal at the world championship.

The funding for boxing was increased prior to the 2012 Olympics and we should see the rewards of that in the upcoming years. However, I think they lowered it again though more recently.

[golovkinKOs]

give it 2 years and the UK will be the capital of boxing because by that time al haymon would have single handedly destroyed boxing in the US . nobody will be fighting anyone and all you will get is B list fights which is pretty much already happening , once floyd retires you can say R.I.P to all your PPVs .