Bringing boxing back to the mainstream

[twanky1]

In which ways to you think boxing could be changed to give it more mainstream appeal?

It is very frustrating to see MMA overtaking Boxing in mainstream popularity. Boxing has the potential to be a more successful sport than MMA but the promoters and organizations arent evolving the rules to keep up with an evolving society.

Here is my list:

1. Use slightly smaller gloves. Anything to make punches do more damage would make it more exciting to mainstream fans. There must be a balance in glove size where hands are protected, faces arent permanently disfigured but where KOs are more common.

2. Add an effective aggression multiplier to the scoring. This will encourage fan pleasing behavior from fighters. Tactical battles and counter punching can still exist but the action would be much more consistent/

3. Get rid of the alphabet belts and make one belt per weight class. This makes title fights meaningful and forces the best to fight each other.

4. Penalize holding more aggressively. John Ruiz and Ricky Hatton style holding should be eliminated. Nothing is worse than when boxers hold each other. This would create more Toney vs Barkley and Corrales vs Castillo infights where the fighters do not tie each other up.

5. Less PVP and more Network cards. Friday Night Fights used to be a ritual among our friends. Bring it back. Imagin 7:30 to 12pm every friday night. packed full with great matchups. Sounds like heaven to me.

[Caxcan]

getting rid of alphabet titles would be a step in the right direction but i think you'd risk ruining boxing by changing the rules. it's all about fans having a personal connection with the sport. if people get to know the fighters they'll become emotionally (or financially) invested in the outcome of a bout. that's why dlh is so popular with the mainstream, people saw him rise up from a 17yo olympic medalist to world champion. that's also the reason why the UFC is so popular these days, the ground and pound stuff is gay and the talent level is **** but they have tatted up/roided out stars with wwf style entrances that young males think is badass. shows like hbo's 24/7 have a way of drawing people in, in fact some people on here are changing their opinion of the outcome of dlh-pac because of it. maybe a show like the contender could have worked if it had actual world class fighters instead of being mostly comprised of bums competing in irrelevant fights.

[Christus Regnat]

Put some Light in it. The Light is Irrestable so any creature of God.

[Christus Regnat]

Put some Light in it. The Light is Irrestable so any creature of God.

That's the only real answer there is to this question. Any other answer and you'd be chasing an illusion that isn't real and constructing nothing but a house of flimsly straws that tips over at the first wind. Like the stock market.

[twanky1]

getting rid of alphabet titles would be a step in the right direction but i think you'd risk ruining boxing by changing the rules. it's all about fans having a personal connection with the sport. if people get to know the fighters they'll become emotionally (or financially) invested in the outcome of a bout. that's why dlh is so popular with the mainstream, people saw him rise up from a 17yo olympic medalist to world champion. that's also the reason why the UFC is so popular these days, the ground and pound stuff is gay and the talent level is **** but they have tatted up/roided out stars with wwf style entrances that young males think is badass. shows like hbo's 24/7 have a way of drawing people in, in fact some people on here are changing their opinion of the outcome of dlh-pac because of it. maybe a show like the contender could have worked if it had actual world class fighters instead of being mostly comprised of bums competing in irrelevant fights.

Ya mate I definitely tried to be mindful of not changing the sport too much. Just tweaking a few rules.

I agree with the 24/7 comment. People need to be attached to fighters the way people were attached to Ali, Leonard and Tyson. These 3 penetrated the mainstream better then ODLH did. The contender is great the way casual fans get to see the fighter's personalities and what makes them tick. Your right, Perhaps if the contender featured relevent fighters it would of been more successful.

Fantastic post.

[The_Visitation]

In which ways to you think boxing could be changed to give it more mainstream appeal?

It is very frustrating to see MMA overtaking Boxing in mainstream popularity.

Three years ago that might have been true. I think you'll find MMA is losing ground now; I think the novelty has warn off.

Anything to make punches do more damage would make it more exciting to mainstream fans. There must be a balance in glove size where hands are protected, faces arent permanently disfigured but where KOs are more common.

The current gloves are just fine. If it means messing people up for the sake of it screw 'mainstream fans'; let the animals go watch cage fights. Boxing is dangerous enough as it is.

2. Add an effective aggression multiplier to the scoring. This will encourage fan pleasing behavior from fighters. Tactical battles and counter punching can still exist but the action would be much more consistent

Sorry, but you aren't talking about 'boxing' any more.

3. Get rid of the alphabet belts and make one belt per weight class. This makes title fights meaningful and forces the best to fight each other.

Good idea. Will never happen.

4. Penalize holding more aggressively. John Ruiz and Ricky Hatton style holding should be eliminated. Nothing is worse than when boxers hold each other. This would create more Toney vs Barkley and Corrales vs Castillo infights where the fighters do not tie each other up.

Good fighters can deal with it and rarely do it. Again, part of the game and referee's can already deduct points if necessary. It rarely is. I'd also point out that Hatton gets bigger audiences and more fans than just about any other boxer - obviously they don't see any problem!

5. Less PVP and more Network cards. Friday Night Fights used to be a ritual among our friends. Bring it back. Imagin 7:30 to 12pm every friday night. packed full with great matchups. Sounds like heaven to me.

Again, I good idea. Again, will never happen. There's just too much short-term money in PPV.

[twanky1]

Three years ago that might have been true. I think you'll find MMA is losing ground now; I think the novelty has warn off.



The current gloves are just fine. If it means messing people up for the sake of it screw 'mainstream fans'; let the animals go watch cage fights. Boxing is dangerous enough as it is.

haha Good point


Sorry, but you aren't talking about 'boxing' any more.

Well Boxing skill still applies here. Its just the style is more catered to the Mirandas and Tysons of the sport


Good idea. Will never happen.

Probably right


Good fighters can deal with it and rarely do it. Again, part of the game and referee's can already deduct points if necessary. It rarely is. I'd also point out that Hatton gets bigger audiences and more fans than just about any other boxer - obviously they don't see any problem!


Good fighters struggle to deal with it. Mayweather had a lot of trouble with Hattons holding and it made the fight a boring one. Hatton is a huge success because of his personality first and boxing skill second

Again, I good idea. Again, will never happen. There's just too much short-term money in PPV.

True, too bad its killing the sport long term

[Allucard]

In which ways to you think boxing could be changed to give it more mainstream appeal?

It is very frustrating to see MMA overtaking Boxing in mainstream popularity. Boxing has the potential to be a more successful sport than MMA but the promoters and organizations arent evolving the rules to keep up with an evolving society.

Here is my list:

1. Use slightly smaller gloves. Anything to make punches do more damage would make it more exciting to mainstream fans. There must be a balance in glove size where hands are protected, faces arent permanently disfigured but where KOs are more common.

2. Add an effective aggression multiplier to the scoring. This will encourage fan pleasing behavior from fighters. Tactical battles and counter punching can still exist but the action would be much more consistent/

3. Get rid of the alphabet belts and make one belt per weight class. This makes title fights meaningful and forces the best to fight each other.

4. Penalize holding more aggressively. John Ruiz and Ricky Hatton style holding should be eliminated. Nothing is worse than when boxers hold each other. This would create more Toney vs Barkley and Corrales vs Castillo infights where the fighters do not tie each other up.

5. Less PVP and more Network cards. Friday Night Fights used to be a ritual among our friends. Bring it back. Imagin 7:30 to 12pm every friday night. packed full with great matchups. Sounds like heaven to me.

I like number 3 and number 5. Always defended those myself. The downside would be no Joe Calzaghe's, Danny Williams or God himself (Fields) having undefeated records. Oscar, Bernard, Jones, Tarver, Forrest, Mosley, Hollyfield would all be out of the sport because they couldn't get or hold any of the belts to get drawing attention. This would mean we would have a sport composed only by the most capable of the capable individuals, no old guys, no "make me look good" fights, are you sure you want this? I'm sure most people on these forums would have nothing to talk about. 90% of the controversy would just cease to exist. Being a champion would mean something. In other words, THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN. Can you imagine the ORGS letting this happen? Or the promoters who know their fighters would never be champions because they lack real talent but have a good public image? or fighters themselves? about 60% of the fighters today aren't as good as their public image shows. Not gonna happen, never. Too many people would be upset. Pro boxing is not a real sport for many years now.