How does boxing become a mainstream popular sport again

[1lparm]

We are boxing fans. We are passionate about this classic sport and despite us coming from all kinds of racial, ethnic, religious, gender, age, native language or whatever other category you can think of that makes us different people. But we all have one thing in common we are boxing fans. We take precious time out of our lives away from work, family, personal time etc to come to this forum to discuss and sometimes argue our opinions of our favorite fighters past or present. We have passion for boxing and I'm sure all of us can agree that boxing as a premier sport has been slowly pushed down the ladder of most popular below soccer, football, basketball, baseball etc.

My question is what in your opinion does boxing as a sport and the participants from the fighters to the promoters need to do to bring it back as one of the most popular sports in the world?

Edit I added a poll with some of the best ideas

[Build That Wall]

When people realize that the sport is made up of more than 2 fighters

[.:: JSFD26 ::.]

Once Pacquiao beats Mayweather.

If Mayweather wins even more people will stop watching.

[The Big Dunn]

when people who claim to be real boxing fans stop doing stuff like streaming fights and begin doing things like watching boxing on TV other than just HBO and actually buying tickets to cards held in their local area.

[stuff jones]

1. No PPV
2. Clean up corruption i.e. no more sketchy decisions.
3. One belt per weight class
4. Require the best to fight the best to defend their belts.
5. Improve health regulations around the sport so no more serious injuries or death

[1lparm]

1. No PPV
2. Clean up corruption i.e. no more sketch decisions.
3. One belt per weight class
4. Require the best to fight the best to defend their belts.
5. Improve health regulations around the sport so no more serious injuries or death

I like this list.

#5 though do you think more people will watch if boxing was more dangerous kinda like the nascar fans watch hoping for a bad wreck.

[HanzGruber]

Taking it off hbo/sho is a step. Kinda hard to be mainstream when 40 mil max can watch and only about 1.5 of them actually do watch it

[-PBP-]

More superstars, more excitement, less confusion about belts, better announcers to narrate what's happening in the ring, less corruption, more heavyweights

[Ray Corso]

When the personalities being offered to mainstream news can speak with intellect
and not keep referring to a female reporter as "man"!

The heavyweight champ doesn't care about promting the sport and the p4p king
only cares about himself.

None of these men can shine in front of a camera because their limited in personality.
The "beast" BS of a Tyson isn't needed in fact thats what brought the sport down when it needed universal appeal. No one wants to see or here the "gangsta" BS unless your 12 yrs old!
Being from the hood when you live in a mansion for the past 12 years only fools the morons.

Anyone who emerges will need to be schooled on how to appeal to the masses and it will take a special individual but thats part of becoming a "star" in the sport.
It has more to do with promotion and management than the fighter at first but if the sport is to return to glory days it needs that "icon" dominate personality.
The art of promoting a personality like that is lacking too, the Arums, and Haymons and the rest are doing well personally so their not that interested in the "big picture"! In fact they prefer the sport right where it is, less writers hanging around the better. It's been a "good ol' boy" game for many years!

Ray Corso

[ElMeroChingon]

Honestly, theres no sugar coating it.


If Mayweather vs Pacquiao turns out to be an entertaining fight, boxing will have a better shot. But it the fight is boring, people will remember why they didn't like boxing to begin with. And it depends on how FLoyd decides to fight his next fight.

The whole world will be watching, there will be plenty of new potential fans, but first impression stick with you the longest.

Mayweather Vs Pacquiao could give boxing a kick start, that will be the biggest representation of our sport in the last 20yrs, like it or not