PTI declares boxing dead.. again

[Weebler I]

Boxing ain't dead but its corrupt and flooded with problems. I think comments from mainstream sports media should be taken as a sign to fix these problems rather than dismissed completely.

My biggest issues are the number of "champions" in each weight class, the horrific judging, the network and promotional cold wars and the corrupt ratings systems.

I'm in the small minority on this, but I don't mind the number of champions in each weight class. When you consider the thousands of boxers who compete in a given weight class across the globe, it's not so bad having 4 or 5 champions. If there was only one belt, and the champ got injured or decided to only fight once a year, that would be pretty crap imo.

I don't like the 'interim champions', 'regular champion' or 'champion in recess' bollox though.

Floyd Mayweather
Manny Pacquiao
Miguel Cotto


That is the last three big draws in boxing in the USA with Canelo right on the cusp. Boxing needs to build new stars to take over those guys thats been carrying the sport since 2006.

Those three don't have long left. I can't really see a new star. Thurman maybe? Golovkin, Kovalev and Matthysse are all post-30 themselves.

[cashdon]

I don't feel that boxing is dead or dying. There are a lot of young fighters that have caught my attention and will be players down the road for years to come. I, like a previous pster stated, think that the PPV model needs to be changed (not sure how) or it may see its demise. Personally the rising costs while not prohibitive as yet is getting a bit steep and I can't think of 2 fighters right now that I would regularly & willingingly shell out $60-75 to see fight. Right now after Floyd retires I can't see myself taking off from work (as I do now) and having fight parties.
Like the music industry with the advance of technology once more people catch on to the fact that there are means to get a product for free the powers that be will have to adjust by either lowering prices or producing stacked high quality cards.

[Chiboxing123]

As long as Mexicans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans and Brits exist boxing isn't going anywhere.

This /\ /\ /\ /\ . Fuc* espn.

[Jem Mace]

ESPN is clueless when it comes to boxing.

[A_Jeffrey]

I don't know a single NFL or NBA player, does it mean Football and Basketball are dead? no,
even in America boxing is 10 times bigger then UFC, mostly because of Mexicans etc..
There's a website that measures popularity of every sport(Ill go through my bookmarks and post URL here) and 10 years ago boxing had 30 million fans in US and now 50.

[Szef]

The whole "fixed fights" thing that non-boxing fans sometimes bring up during conversation which was mentioned in this article really irks me, too. When was the last fight that you can recall wherein you thought that the outcome was fixed? I'm not talking about **** judges awarding the fight to the wrong guy, because that kind of weird scoring happens in most sports, just look at the olympics.

I mean a fight where you legitimately thought that the loser took a dive? I haven't seen one like that in so long that I can't even give you a specific example aside from Tyson/Seldon, but even I thought that was more of a case of Seldon being scared ****less and looking for an out. Mike didn't NEED that name on his record or anything.

Also, why does nobody ever bring up the possibility of fixed fights in the UFC? I know their idiotic fanboys take great pride in it being a "real fight" and all, but from what I heard the Japanese organization PRIDE (probably the premiere MMA organization of all time) had ties to the Yakuza and routinely tried to fix or alter the outcomes of fights.

But these ****s act like fight fixing is something that can only occur in boxing or something. It's ridiculous.

I agree with everything you said but I could swear Banks - Mitchell II was fixed.

[KeepItObjective]

Didn't read but these idiots always say this, especially those UFC buffoons like Dana White, that dude can't keep his trap shut and needs to worry about his own crappy sport.

[Redd Foxx]

Didn't read but these idiots always say this, especially those UFC buffoons like Dana White, that dude can't keep his trap shut and needs to worry about his own crappy sport.

True. UFC ratings are declining. Their TUF tv show just opened to it's worst season premire ratings ever. Don't know why everyone is still claiming that it's the fastest growing sport. That ended two years ago.

[Malius]

They say Hockey is dead as well, they mean within main stream.
The problem is what is main stream? What is a good ppv number? Boxing is making a profit a big profit the only way boxing will die is if promoters aren't making the big bucks.

[Brockton Lip]

lol...they have literally been saying this since at least the 1930's.