Arum: "Pavlik's Win, The Biggest Blow To UFC"

[Drunken Cat]

Arum does not understand.

There is years…centuries of grappling history that he has to tear down to even scratch at the midwestern public.

Yeah thats a good point. One big reason for the success of MMA is that its the first professional outlet for grapplers to keep in, which ensures a good fighter base (yeah, there's pro wrestling but thats not a sport.. not to mention that you have to be either a genetic freak or have roids coming out your ears to make it anywhere).

[neils7147933]

Pretty desperate, pretty pathetic situation when we get a good action BOXING match and the BOXING promoter has to namedrop UFC foolishly. Arum's a douchebag. I figured he'd put his Irish boy in with Pavlik next though...

[flipside]

i didnt read the article bu i guess its safe to assume arum was referring to the white fan base right?

[The Troll]

arum gives UFC fans too much credit. Boxing fans are there just in a coma of sorts, nobody wants to watch these boring fights with Cory Spinks against Jermaine Taylor, and these conservative dancing antics Mayweather or these horrible persona's alot of these guys have.

[uclanemesis]

Why do people still insist on comparing the two sports? They're completely different. Bob Arum is a douche!

[uclanemesis]

Boxing did however desperately need a white guy who could knock people out. I think it's gonna help out a lot having someone like Pavlik, specially because he has a good personality.

[FluugMacMan]

I do wish boxing would showcase all of the fights for the next big name on network tv before he fights again.

What boxing has to do is rebuild it's model for success. Starting with the notion that boxing is just rockem' sockem' robot punching with pillows on. They need a widespread avenue to showcase upandcoming fighters to the general public (the general public that doesn't have showtime/hbo or even basic cable). The success of the All-Access programing that helped DeLaHoya and Mayweather break records needs to be repeated. Big name boxers have been very difficult for people who are causal fans to see for so long, they lose their pull, especially considering what the PPV cost for those fights. Boxing needs to show footage of these guys careers (for free) on network television to build back in the causal fan what was lost for so long. That's just one of the first steps to rebuilding it's fanbase and creating new ones.

Just as a side note, there's a decent amount of UFC fans that don't feel exclusive to the UFC like a lot of boxing fans feel exclusive to their favorite boxers. Boxing needs to use that, along with the fact that a lot of people in the UFC fanbase like to see standing wars. UFC fans don't need to be taken by boxing, they need to be shown that boxing isn't a game of pillow fighting to corrupt decisions.

[WHB3]

Why do people still insist on comparing the two sports? They're completely different. Bob Arum is a douche!

They compete for PPV business on a monthly basis. That's why.


Arum's right though. You think Dana White wanted to see a young, charismatic white guy from the Midwest knock out the middleweight champion of the world?

Let's start to face facts people. Boxing and UFC are direct competition and Kelly Pavlik is going to be, along with Miguel Cotto, boxing's box office attractions.

[FluugMacMan]

Arum's right though. You think Dana White wanted to see a young, charismatic white guy from the Midwest knock out the middleweight champion of the world?

See the thing is, Dana sees it, but like the majority of the UFC fanbase, they don't care. The reason they don't care is because they haven't been shown any reason to care about that fighter or any other that's put out. That's why Dana doesn't care, because boxing has yet to address the issues that could help them attract and keep younger fans. Until the problem is fixed, who cares what Arum says.

[One Hit KO]

As We All Know If It Is White It Would Sell.