What the hell is going on will boxing? Is it pretty much dead?

[Mic Tyson]

I have never been one of these “Boxing is dead” people. I understand it’s popularity is severely diminished in the states but It’s still lucrative for the fighters and has enough interest. Obviously boxing isn’t going to just completely go away but what the heck is going on right now?

I am someone who would watch almost everything that was put on. I have enjoyed this last era that some think is crummy but it is absolutely terrible now and I have severely lost interest over the last year or so.

Don’t get me wrong, the Beterbiev Bivol, Canelo Crawford, Usyk fights etc have all been decent but it wasn’t long ago where there were interesting fights on many weekends of the year. We are basically down to a few events in a year. Guys are completely inactive and the most recent era is aging out fast. Where are the new up and coming guys? What the hell has happened to guys like Teofimo Lopez, Loma, Spence etc… That era seems to be over and there is nothing interesting now. Gervonta Davis is one of the only guys I hear about anymore and he never fights anyone worth a **** and now he’s fighting Jake Paul?

Is it just me? What gives?

[Coverdale]

Sounds like you're just focused on elite American fighters. Follow edpboxing's threads, there's still lots happening.

[Donnie Herrera]

I have never been one of these “Boxing is dead” people. I understand it’s popularity is severely diminished in the states but It’s still lucrative for the fighters and has enough interest. Obviously boxing isn’t going to just completely go away but what the heck is going on right now?

I am someone who would watch almost everything that was put on. I have enjoyed this last era that some think is crummy but it is absolutely terrible now and I have severely lost interest over the last year or so.

Don’t get me wrong, the Beterbiev Bivol, Canelo Crawford, Usyk fights etc have all been decent but it wasn’t long ago where there were interesting fights on many weekends of the year. We are basically down to a few events in a year. Guys are completely inactive and the most recent era is aging out fast. Where are the new up and coming guys? What the hell has happened to guys like Teofimo Lopez, Loma, Spence etc… That era seems to be over and there is nothing interesting now. Gervonta Davis is one of the only guys I hear about anymore and he never fights anyone worth a **** and now he’s fighting Jake Paul?

Is it just me? What gives?

I know what you mean…there used to be a card if not every weekend…every other weekend…it seems Turkey grabbed up all the fighters…gave us the fights we wanted and now nothin’…white media in America won’t cover boxing unless there is a white guy for them to glaze…Floyd Mayweather kept this chit together…especially in the states…at the same time too many fighters want to emulate his image without doing the work inside the gym because they know that’s what sells…now those same fighters are signing with Hearn or Turkey…hbo and showtime leaving…hurt boxing…now they want to force d level uk fighters on us cause their audience/fans will pay for any fight…

[dan_cov]

Its in the gutter.
I think Saudi money was a short term answer and great but it also sped up the decline in the sense we was spoiled but we've basically ran or are running out of big fights.

So many of these divisions are dead so much so we're seeing the odd elite fighter or at least actual world class fighter run through them with ease and often multiple and there seems to be such little talent coming through. Its truly in a terrible place as much as it pains me to say.

With social media, phones/apps, and everything now for convenience we are pathetically lazy and its made men a whole lot softer.

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

Sounds like you're just focused on elite American fighters. Follow edpboxing's threads, there's still lots happening.

The standard of those cards are just not good enough though. We used to have quality cards week in week out.

I watch all levels of boxing from kids in skills bouts at local gym shows to Canelo-Crawford in Vegas. We shouldn’t have to settle for Najee Lopez vs Kelvin Henderson on a Saturday night. It’d be like cancelling 70% of Premier League fixtures and saying it’s ok you’ve got League 2 to watch. The standard just isn’t the same.

The quality and depth of boxing on TV is abysmal in comparison to 10+ years ago. It reflects a clear lack of investment and interest in the sport. I think it’s really worrying for boxing long term.

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

Its in the gutter.
I think Saudi money was a short term answer and great but it also sped up the decline in the sense we was spoiled but we've basically ran or are running out of big fights.

So many of these divisions are dead so much so we're seeing the odd elite fighter or at least actual world class fighter run through them with ease and often multiple and there seems to be such little talent coming through. Its truly in a terrible place as much as it pains me to say.

With social media, phones/apps, and everything now for convenience we are pathetically lazy and its made men a whole lot softer.

The Saudi involvement has essentially made the sport seasonal. The majority of top fighters are just waiting for the Saudi sponsored payday. They don’t stay active in between because the pay gap is massive. They’ve delivered some great cards but I don’t think it’s been beneficial for boxing on the whole.

[Lonelystoner]

It's gonna die due to fanboyism. How can boxers become stars when the fans hate on 90% of them outside of the top 5 ranked guys in the division?

[Smash]

stop it

we have

boots ortiz 2030
tank shakur 2030
curmel moton jake paul 2030
benny bivol 2026
oilskin v tba 2026

the future is bright

[JakeTheBoxer]

Dave Allen fighting Makhmudov is top news nowadays, so..

[Coverdale]

The standard of those cards are just not good enough though. We used to have quality cards week in week out.

I watch all levels of boxing from kids in skills bouts at local gym shows to Canelo-Crawford in Vegas. We shouldn’t have to settle for Najee Lopez vs Kelvin Henderson on a Saturday night. It’d be like cancelling 70% of Premier League fixtures and saying it’s ok you’ve got League 2 to watch. The standard just isn’t the same.

The quality and depth of boxing on TV is abysmal in comparison to 10+ years ago. It reflects a clear lack of investment and interest in the sport. I think it’s really worrying for boxing long term.

A combination of watching the sport for around 25 years and being a meditator means I find it hard to get on board with these dramatic narratives about boxing's decline. We've seen lots of big fights over the past few years. Things ebb and flow, what's happening in the US seems to be a cultural problem.

My biggest frustration is the terrible media around boxing. Can we have some proper journalists back who can help do something about the sanctioning bodies?