Is boxing killing die hard fans?

[SWEETSCIENCE100]

This is very true.

I remember a year or so ago, I created a thread on Sherdog saying MMA would get much better fights if the UFC didn't have a monoply. This was before Zuffa bought out Strikeforce. At the time, Strikeforce had a list of fighters and champions as did the UFC, but they couldn't fight because the UFC had so many stipulations on it's fighters contracts.

I basically said, if the UFC was set up like boxing with individual promoters, we would've seen Brock vs Lesnar, Overreem vs Cain, Melendez vs Edgar, ect a long time ago.

But you're right, that is one perk about boxing.

isn't Brock vs Lesnar the same person! Where do these punks come from! OMG!!!!!!

[Hewito]

What has been killing the "view" of the sport is the lack of competitive fights, which a part of it is actually HBO buying or holding ridiculous fights..ie almost any of the berto mismatches. However i really think that this one problem is going to be changing now that HBO's budget has been greatly reduced and that Golden boys contract with them has ended(canelo fight was the last).
i say HBO cause that's the Main programer.

And no one has every said Canelo is a great champion....he is very popular but i have never heard anyone say great. He is only 21 yrs old and this is the first time i have seen him gases........people need to just let off him a bit.

why is everyone is critical of everything these days?


Also i must add. although i was not a huge De La Hoya fan. i miss his desire to fight the best, that's someone who fought everyone.
too many divas in boxing these days that want everything there way.

You must not be mexican,I am.Ask 50 mexicans(not real fans but casual)and they will tell you how "great" el canelo is..I dont have a problem with him at all,he is nothing more than someone who is trying to make the best of it.The people that surrounds him and promoters are the one i despised..

[Lucky Jim]

Boxing has taken a big hit in America because "boxing" was always synonymous with the heavyweight division, and until the last decade or so that division was always owned by Americans. That ended with Lewis and the K-Bros. So naturally now that the division is no longer under American ownership and doesn't look like it will be for some time, if ever again, the sport is having troubles there. Nobody likes giving up something they thought was theirs and only theirs, least of all Americans.

[Hewito]

isn't Brock vs Lesnar the same person! Where do these punks come from! OMG!!!!!!

Calm down..that guy made a mistake..But it if anything it takes one to know one right?..punk...

[Hewito]

Boxing has taken a big hit in America because "boxing" was always synonymous with the heavyweight division, and until the last decade or so that division was always owned by Americans. That ended with Lewis and the K-Bros. So naturally now that the division is no longer under American ownership and doesn't look like it will be for some time, if ever again, the is sport having troubles there. Nobody likes giving up something they thought was theirs and only theirs, least of all Americans.

You are right....People that dont know anything all they say who is the heavyweight champion now..I tell them there are way too many weight divisions to like,But see,that is my point,you have constantly have to defend boxing,and at the end,they are not that off.Here is an example:Why is pacquaio not fighting mayweather or viceversa(Those are the only names they know),so you have to go through all the drama from both parties and explained,and then you realize,they are right,why aren't they fighting?..know what i mean?

[BoxingGenius27]

isn't Brock vs Lesnar the same person! Where do these punks come from! OMG!!!!!!

Hahaha I meant Brock vs Fedor lol

Man, you need to get some punani; all riled up lol

[Lucky Jim]

You are right....People that dont know anything all they say who is the heavyweight champion now..I tell them there are way too many weight divisions to like,But see,that is my point,you have constantly have to defend boxing,and at the end,they are not that off.Here is an example:Why is pacquaio not fighting mayweather or viceversa(Those are the only names they know),so you have to go through all the drama from both parties and explained,and then you realize,they are right,why aren't they fighting?..know what i mean?

Sure, that's another big problem. But if America had a superstar heavyweight right now--say if the K-Bros were Americans--there is no doubt in my mind that the entire sport would be doing much better in the USA. There's always been big fights in other weight divisions, and stars like Sugar Ray Leonard, etc., but it is the heavyweight division that makes the sport go--or not. And it has little or nothing to do with how good or talented the K-Bros are. Americans are not ready to embrace two "Russian" champions (no distinction is made between Russian and Ukrainian here).

Before now, America has never had to deal with a heavyweight division that didn't have an American superstar in the history of boxing. Asking Americans to embrace two guys that they were trained by Rocky movies to dislike is asking too much. And the old guard of the American boxing media like Bert Sugar plays on those old stereotypes and keeps them alive.

[PhooLzRUs]

Another thing. I think it would help out of they got rid of all these belts and all these different weight classes.

Most casual fans don't even know about all the different weight classes, and I think it just ends up separating the talent, and it also allows fighters to get lazy."Oh, damnit i can't make 147 anymore might as well go up to 154. Legit 154 calls out fighter (Who should be a MW) "Oh, no, I'm just a blown up WW" then go back down to ww.

As for the belts. Do I even have to mention it? Most of us boxing fans know the belts don't mean **** anymore, and exactly how does one have more than one champion? I've never seen the NBA have two or three champions in one year. It just doesn't make any sense, most people didn't even know Mayweather/De La Hoya was for a belt. And it's clear the belts are merely used as political tools. Boxing needs to get rid of all these different belts and just have one.

[littlemac]

I need a real point of view here,not your classic"If you don't like it don't watch it" kinda crap.I been i boxing fan for 25 years(I'm 34),but been a die hard fan of boxing for 15 years.I been to about 10 championship fights and like 30 shows overall.Here is my question;where is boxing heading?.The reason i am asking because i cannot believe why just happened tonight in HBO.Bronier's attitude and skills are far from good and the fighter he fought,for a championship is a joke.Canelo looked like he was passing out from exhaustion and he is being called a "great champion".Fights that need to be done are not happening because the marquee fighter don't want to lose that marketability.Fights from telefutura are not longer any good,there are just a showcase for specific fighters.Fighters are being caught with illegal substances or worse,Fighter fighting someone with a 15-15-0 records.Judges robbing fighters(not marquez if you dont want to go there)Catch weights seem to be the "NEW" thing now,even fighters are acting like jerks inside and outside of the ring and the list goes on and on and on.What is the future of Boxing,I am in a point where i am ready to throw the towel and be done with boxing and i know i am not alone here.I will like to know what the real fans from here think,am i being to harsh or too dramatic,or that is a sentiment people can relate too?..Please keep it serious and tell me your thoughts..

Don't worry. Pac and Arum will save boxing....

[RSBonos]

Also $60 for a crappy PPV..where all matters its one fight?

All the HBO PPVs have had undercards going from good to great in 2011.

Nothing more annoying then a 'woe is me' boxing fan. I get the impression that people think that they aren't real boxing fans until they trash the current state of the sport and the contemporary fighters.

Belts are meaningless, PPVs are necessary for the big fights and most of the important fights take place. Is it perfect? Far from it, but there was never a time when prizefighting didn't have some corruption or nonsense going on. If you can't accept that then this sport is not for you.