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As Pink Floyd’s classic tune, “Comfortably Numb” so eerily asked: “Is there anybody out there?” so too should boxing’s community regarding our youth. One after another, young fighters carrying this era’s “Golden Boy” moniker have fallen and displayed that they were more a matter of style than real boxing substance.
Not one young “prospect” out there has managed to capture the attention of the mainstream media and it is hurting the sport as a whole because without mainstream attention, growth cycles are ******ed.
Where is our Muhammad Ali, “Sugar” Ray Leonard, or Oscar de la Hoya?
Why does there seem to be a substantial talent gap between the super prospects of yesteryear and our current harvest of younglings?
Although I am one of the current few in our sport who do not believe that boxing is a sinking vessel, I must admit an air of concern regarding the next half decade, because at the present time there is not one legitimate, commercially viable young fighter who is making the kind of waves needed to assure that boxing remains a formidable force in the world of sports today.
The lack of a young marquee fighter diminishes the demand for recognized sponsorship; therefore, because of this continuing trend, terrestrial television dates are no longer available. Cable television is the only arena left to showcase our sport and those limited slots are not held for the development of a fighter.
How is “Status Quo” supposed to get to know our sport again and really get behind a young boxer if we are not able to capture their excitement through broadcasts to the public at large? [details]
Not one young “prospect” out there has managed to capture the attention of the mainstream media and it is hurting the sport as a whole because without mainstream attention, growth cycles are ******ed.
Where is our Muhammad Ali, “Sugar” Ray Leonard, or Oscar de la Hoya?
Why does there seem to be a substantial talent gap between the super prospects of yesteryear and our current harvest of younglings?
Although I am one of the current few in our sport who do not believe that boxing is a sinking vessel, I must admit an air of concern regarding the next half decade, because at the present time there is not one legitimate, commercially viable young fighter who is making the kind of waves needed to assure that boxing remains a formidable force in the world of sports today.
The lack of a young marquee fighter diminishes the demand for recognized sponsorship; therefore, because of this continuing trend, terrestrial television dates are no longer available. Cable television is the only arena left to showcase our sport and those limited slots are not held for the development of a fighter.
How is “Status Quo” supposed to get to know our sport again and really get behind a young boxer if we are not able to capture their excitement through broadcasts to the public at large? [details]
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