Comments Thread For: Paramount Global To Shut Down Showtime Sports; Network Will No Longer Broadcast Boxing

[Tag, You're Hit]

Thanks for the kind words. I actually did launch a boxing website several years back and it got decent traction out of the gates, but I quickly saw there were some ridiculous politics in the game. Example, if you don't kiss a certain promoters rear end with your articles and interviews, you won't get access and you won't get credentialed for their events. The politics of the boxing promoters, believe it not, bleed over into fan bases, media, websites, etc. in that regard. I quickly saw that the behind the scenes format in boxing is SOOOO broken that I wanted no part of it. Because, if you think about it, what I just mentioned about not getting access to fighters if you don't kiss their butt in your articles has a 100% direct correlation to how boxing has died off in the mainstream. Promoters are literally telling media outlets, websites, etc. that they are declining their articles and interviews unless they are exactly how they want them. OF COURSE that contributes to boxing falling out as a mainstream sport when the average fan can't find the online content or the articles and media that they are looking for. It also explains why you get some completely overboard and outright embarrassing "media" from these bloggers and YouTubers that just align with one promotion and one promotion only. I mean, can you imagine the NFL or NBA cutting off ESPN's access or something because ESPN wrote a negative article? LOL it would be suicide and incredibly idiotic. But, it's par for the course in boxing.... and then they wonder why TV numbers are down, when they aren't allowing the media to cover the sport how it should be covered LOL.

I got off topic there though, sorry. Again, thanks for the compliment.

Interesting behind-the-scenes peek.

[Tag, You're Hit]

Promoters need to come together and create their own streaming service. Something that they would all have a financial interest in seeing succeed. None would make a dent on their own but combined it would pretty much be the ultimate destination for boxing. At that point there would be more reason to make all the big fights rather than keep fighters away from each other. Only recognize one sanctioning body. One champion. Do all that and you basically have a league. Problem solved.

I like the concept, but it's probably not realistic. There are too many greased palms, interests that won't go away so easily (sanctioning bodies cough cough), and egos involved. After rattling it around my brain a bit, though, I do wonder if something like a merger of sorts (like NFL-AFL) could happen between promoters and a type of a league could be created. I don't know how you envision it, but maybe the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO are different divisions and there is some sort of playoff scenario (tournament) where one fighter becomes the undisputed champion. The WBSS is always welcome and well received. And "Undisputed" fever is contagious. If every current player in the boxing scene can make out well in a new configuration, maybe there's a chance. The pessimist in me, who is right more than the optimist, figures sanctioned boxing is 100+ years in and that we'll just be watching boxing on different platforms (streaming probably) and we'll continue to get a small percentage of fights we actually want to see and the incompetent/crooked scoring and too-early stoppages will outlast us all. It's fitting that Las Vegas is the fight capital of the world.

[md40022]

This is an excellent piece of writing. Do you write for any publications/websites?

Thanks for the kind words. I actually did launch a boxing website several years back and it got decent traction out of the gates, but I quickly saw there were some ridiculous politics in the game. Example, if you don't kiss a certain promoters rear end with your articles and interviews, you won't get access and you won't get credentialed for their events. The politics of the boxing promoters, believe it not, bleed over into fan bases, media, websites, etc. in that regard. I quickly saw that the behind the scenes format in boxing is SOOOO broken that I wanted no part of it. Because, if you think about it, what I just mentioned about not getting access to fighters if you don't kiss their butt in your articles has a 100% direct correlation to how boxing has died off in the mainstream. Promoters are literally telling media outlets, websites, etc. that they are declining their articles and interviews unless they are exactly how they want them. OF COURSE that contributes to boxing falling out as a mainstream sport when the average fan can't find the online content or the articles and media that they are looking for. It also explains why you get some completely overboard and outright embarrassing "media" from these bloggers and YouTubers that just align with one promotion and one promotion only. I mean, can you imagine the NFL or NBA cutting off ESPN's access or something because ESPN wrote a negative article? LOL it would be suicide and incredibly idiotic. But, it's par for the course in boxing.... and then they wonder why TV numbers are down, when they aren't allowing the media to cover the sport how it should be covered LOL.

I got off topic there though, sorry. Again, thanks for the compliment.

[JLC]

Dude, when was Wilder supposed to fight Klit?

He became champ in Jan 2015 & Klit lost to Fury in Nov. 2015.

Y'all act like they were champs in the same division for 3 or 4 years or something.

Their overlap is fxcking 8 months.

And if he fought Martin, y'all would just clown him for knocking out another bum like Breazeale or Molina

Martin's nowhere near as good as Ortiz was and Wilder sparked him twice.



UFC doesn't have piracy?

Of course it does.

I go on Twitter & there's tons of links to illegal streams on there, but they're thriving.

Boxing's problem is corrupt promoters, judges, & sanctioning bodies, simple as plain.

No way Jermall Charlo should've been able to hold the WBC belt hostage for 2 whole years, when they've stripped other fighters for less.

Too many belts, too many champions, too many robberies & ridiculous scorecards, too much ducking & trying to gouge the public for bullshxt fights .

If the best fought the best regularly in men's boxing like they do in women's boxing, the scorecards were fair 80% of the time, and these sanctioning bodies stopped it with the belt nonsense, you'd see boxing making money hand over fist.

best fighting the best is definitely a huge issue. But boxers are overpaid by comparison to UFC guys so that compounds on the problem of piracy even more. The top guys are demanding paydays that just aren’t there anymore due to the easy to stream PPVs.

I wish boxing nothing but the best. If it’s on TV I’ll watch.

[Fabes88]

A lot of people owe Hearn an apology. He’s been saying this for a while and everyone called him a liar

[Phase III]

DAZN has to be next given the millions their paymaster has lost due to so many boring Matchroom: Hearn bouts filled with lackluster British boxers.

[Dela]

Is this results of terrible judges… lol
on how awful the boxing matches were decided

[SUBZER0ED]

At least when HBO closed shop, they have very few fighters relying on them. This time it's a large stable and it remains to be seen if it would still be business as usual like nothing happened.

Hell, most of those clowns were sitting on their hands anyway. They weren't fighting.

[Sheikh]

What is truly sad is that I'm pretty sure that DAZN will be next. What happens then? They will basically be no more Outlets

[bchap05]

Could be good. Sometimes it takes being knocked down to finally make changes. They are probably still too ****** and greedy, but if they ever learn that making the best fight the best gets more buys and ratings. If whoever picks them up forces their hand in that for better ratings it would improve the sport. The one thing I never understood about boxing. Like they would rather have 200k viewers than a mill because they don't want to challenge themselves. One of only sports I can think of that purposely puts on a worse product half the time.

Hopefully the consolidate onto ESPN or Dazn. If boxing were under one banner with forced fights (not cherry picking) their wouldn't be a ratings or buy issue.