What or who do you blame for the current state of boxing?

[The Hammer]

Exciting fighters like Pavlik are relatively unknown to the public. On the past, the middleweight champions were talked about a lot in the media. If people saw Pavlik vs. Miranda or Pavlik vs. Taylor I they would take an interest in boxing.

Instead we have the boring Mayweather being mentioned frequently. People who watch his fights and are turned off from boxing - yet his fights are shown over and over again on ESPN classic.

[the_godslayer]

Boxing is great at the moment, but the HW division is not. And historically it is the HW division that is the big ticket division for the masses. Whilst it is not healthy and the fights in it viewed as boring, there will be a common perception amoung general sports and casual boxing fans that the sport is struggling.

This is true ... the HW division has always been seen as the key to boxings success and demise and until there is another HW superstar the feeling that boxing is on the way out will remain

Boxing isn't dying but it isn't what it once was. There are more than 1 factor that makes boxing what it is today.

1. Promoters.
2. Corrupt sanctioning bodies and their title belts.
3. No boxing on free TV.
.

how very very true, especially the no fights on free TV

1. Matchmaking. Seeing a main event that has someone brought in as an opponent and really has little chance of winning. This has got better, ESPN2 has started getting more evenly matched fights. And with all of the "upsets" we've been seeing lately I think its more of just them finally finding someone that has a chance. People use records to base on how they think a fight will go. But they do not realize that someone 24-5 might have a more solid record than someone 25-0.

2. Bad decisions. I quit watching boxing because of this for a couple years. Seems that it has gotten better, while there are still some bad ones.

3. Lack of free fights. On a lucky week I might get boxing 3 nights in the week. ESPN two nights and HBO one night. ESPN is good because if they fights are all short they show more. HBO usually has two fights and if they both end in the first round then your **** out of luck for watching boxing. Even though I'm sure they had more fights they could show.

4. Boxing getting pushed back for other sports. ESPN has to treat boxing like a seasonal sport. If there is ANY other sport going on it takes priority over boxing. Hell, wed night fights is only on during the spring/summer if I remember correctly. And during fall/winter its a crapshoot on whether you will get to see any boxing during a week.

5. And I hate to say it but UFC. I think UFC is pulling in a lot of the potential boxing fans at young ages now and leaves less people interested in boxing. Its sad that this fad is putting a dent on something that has been around for a LONG time. But I'm sure in a few years when UFC isnt around it will get better. Anything that gets popular so quick is usually a fad and dies out about as quickly. Does make sense that teenagers would rather see a streetfight since they dont really know any better.

very succintly put and all true .... well said mate

[Flawless]

Of course people watch Mayweather. They want to see him lose. Being P4P best helps.

[Ryn0]

Sanctioning Bodies and the Heavyweight division

[The Hammer]

1. Too many sanctioning organizations.

2. Poor media coverage. There needs to be fights on network TV.

3. Poor quality commentators such as Kellerman and Matthews turn people off.

4. Don King as promoter, who cares neither for the fans nor the fighters

[BraveheartNYC]

Boxing isn't dying but it may be slowing down in the States, or maybe not as talked about by the man on the street. But overseas Hatton and Joe can get 45,000-50,000 people into one of their fights. That's a dying sport?! I think U.F.C. and M.M.A. say boxing dying to clammer more fans to that sport. Boxing will always be around and is going no where. Plus with young fun fighters like Pete Quillin, Danny Valle making his pro. debut and a lot of other young fighters coming up now, boxing is in good hands.