Comments Thread For: If boxing is broken, does anybody still care enough to fix it?

[Boxing 112]

What is wrong with the MMA model apart from the fighters supposedly don't get paid enough? I see no reason why boxers should get paid 10 million. Yes, it's dangerous, but so is working in heavy industry, so was being a nurse/doctor during the pandemic - so many nurses died and not afforded adequate PPE until too late. In the UK we had the pathetic clap for the NHS workers - and did they get a decent payrise/bonus at the end of it - some can't work because they are traumatised.
Getting paid i/2 million is life changing money - should be enough. So if boxing is messed up now then let the would be fixers fix it - when you fix a broken car you don't make it perfect - you get it up and running efficiently - something that Turki seems to be doing so far - stop the wailing. Lets see insurance, ped testing and pre-fight mri scans

Do they get underpaid as much as people think, looks at boxers they get over paid and then get big egos and a lot of big fights never happen or happen too late because of that as they can never agree on a split as everyone thinks they are worth more than they are

[HisExcellency]

The title of this thread reminds of something HRHTRHLC (Her Royal Highness The Right Honourable Lady Coverdale) would post!

[PittyPat]

You can’t help but view elite performances with a degree of cynicism because you know the fighters are not being randomly tested year-round. [...] You see an outstanding performance and it’s becoming a default mindset: "I bet they’re on gear."

That's exactly the mindset I've ended up adopting when it comes to any seemingly brilliant performance, especially if it's by one of those high-energy fighters who seem to just go and go and go like a dynamo.

"Wonder if they're clean..."

It's a huge shame to have to think like this, especially when it comes to my favourites. I can't watch any single fighter's work now without suspecting their potentially cheating ass.

[SteveM]

You got a good point there, the inflated paychecks for the "top" fighters have a big impact on the sport. But the real problem with the MMA model is how much money is being squeezed out by the UFC and Dana White from the fighters, it's pure exploitation when the businessmen are making many millions of dollars and the fighters aren't. The same goes for any industry, but we live in a world that celebrates CEOs and spits on the workers that put themselves on the line.

And let's not forget that a boxer's paycheck is divided between the boxer, his whole training team, the cutman, his manager, and sanctioning fees. On top of it, you have to pay a lot of taxes, so even when a boxer makes 500K, we are talking more like $200K.

And the great majority of boxers don't make anything close to that in a single bout.

Yeah I get the point about taxes etc but thats the same for nurses doctors and all of us.
UFC and Dana White make too much - maybe - without them there'd not be the paydays that MMA fighters do consistently receive and the platform to make that money. I'm the last one to advocate for billionnaire's rights but that's just the way of the world or so it seems.

$200K net after a fight? Fight twice in a year and thats $400K / year for doing something you supposedly love - a pretty decent living. Far better than working in a warehouse. Save and invest half of it and you should be set up for life.

What people forget is that 99% of pro boxers barely make ends meet - and they have no insurance etc. No woder they are tempted to use PEDs - that needs to change

[landotter]

I used to enjoy watching Friday Night Fights. Serious boxing fans lost a real outlet there. Saw some good action and even great bouts on that show.

The Choir says AMEN to you, Preach. I loved Friday Night Fights. I enjoy cards with lesser names on them, as these fighters all have something to gain by putting on a good show, win or lose. HBO, Showtime, and the fun lesser cards of a prime ESPN had boxing in a thriving era. Watching this sport bleed out slowly has been very depressing. Most of us thought the injection of Saudi money would help stop that bleeding, but all it has done is slow it down a bit. It is no longer gushing from an artery, but it is still fatal long term.

[CubanGuyNYC]

The Choir says AMEN to you, Preach. I loved Friday Night Fights. I enjoy cards with lesser names on them, as these fighters all have something to gain by putting on a good show, win or lose. HBO, Showtime, and the fun lesser cards of a prime ESPN had boxing in a thriving era. Watching this sport bleed out slowly has been very depressing. Most of us thought the injection of Saudi money would help stop that bleeding, but all it has done is slow it down a bit. It is no longer gushing from an artery, but it is still fatal long term.

It sucks. I’ve been a fan a very long time. It’s kinda like watching one of your parents get old and become unrecognizable, and you know the end isn’t far off. FNF was hit or miss (pardon the pun), but I was glad to have it. Now there’s nothing like that. Seems we just wait around for a big fight these days, and there’s no guarantee it’ll be worth it. There’s been a debate for a while about the state of the sport and whether it’s dying. I’m of the opinion that it’s been on an irrecoverable decline for years. The sport probably won’t disappear altogether, but it might as well. I feel like casuals used to: I only watch the (very) occasional fight. And yes, it’s depressing.

[The D3vil]

The crazy thing is, a few years ago, it seemed like boxing was turning a corner when Turki first emerged & we were getting Crawford/Spence, finally.

Now, it feels more hopeless than ever.

[THC]

Boxing needs a fighter's union to govern how the sport functions, in and ouf of the ring. So long as broadcasters and promoters control it, fans will forever suffer from current symptoms.

Business e-n-t-i-t-i-e-s would need to win bids on fight cards announced by the union.

Sanctioning groups are also business e-n-t-i-t-i-e-s. But they offer nothing above what the union is obligated to provide to its membership, so they would be superfluous in this organizational model.

[Bob]

The massive amounts of money the top earners are making virtually guarantees inactivity. If any of the real money trickled down, even lesser fighters would become inactive. Fighting for a living is, unsurprisingly, terribly rough. Nobody really wants to do it. But I agree that quality broadcasting and one champ per division would be great for the sport.

Take Joe Calzaghe, at 21-0 he couldn't afford his rent. Forward to today, Itauma a 12 fight novice whos boxed nobody is on ppv & on 1 or 2 fights per year already. He's talking about money (just like Aj) over legacy already.
The systems broken & its breeding an entitled to generation of boxers.

[CubanGuyNYC]

Take Joe Calzaghe, at 21-0 he couldn't afford his rent. Forward to today, Itauma a 12 fight novice whos boxed nobody is on ppv & on 1 or 2 fights per year already. He's talking about money (just like Aj) over legacy already.
The systems broken & its breeding an entitled to generation of boxers.

Much like society at-large. It’s endemic.