Boxing is DEAD!!! - True or False?

[gamefrk]

The sport loses its integrity when winning is disincentivized and skills are devalued. Showtime is not doing that because they didn't have fighters signed to deals like Donaire and Manny that got embarrassed by great boxers.

I do agree with your post -the danny/salka fights hurt as much as kov/caparello and canelo/Kirkland-yet these fights get high ratings because a fan favorite is poised to get an easy KO win.

High ratings mean this is what they are giving us, especially HBO as they are trying to solidify their spot as the premier boxing network.

It's business, Sho/PBC/everyone is trying to solidify their spot...there would be serious problems with their business vision/mission if they weren't trying to. HBO is getting desperate with the anti-Gatti list, it's business...they wont scrap that section IMO. HBO/Sho shouldn't put up crap like Garcia-Salka etc i mentioned before. Canelo-Kirkland was much needed after May2 IMO, too many idiots claiming boxing was dead & MMA>boxing after May2.

[The Big Dunn]

It's business, Sho/PBC/everyone is trying to solidify their spot...there would be serious problems with their business vision/mission if they weren't trying to. HBO is getting desperate with the anti-Gatti list, it's business...they wont scrap that section IMO. HBO/Sho shouldn't put up crap like Garcia-Salka etc i mentioned before. Canelo-Kirkland was much needed after May2 IMO, too many idiots claiming boxing was dead & MMA>boxing after May2.

Yes, I understand everyone is trying to get ratings. That said, the sport itself crumbles whenever skills are not emphasized.

I know casual fans like it when 2 low skilled fighters slug it out. It seems clear that fans turn into easy wins for big names. Is what it is but I think it hurts the sport long term.

The sport didn't need Canelo/Kirkland, it needed Manny to fight to win and ESPN to not have a hissy fit when the guy they wanted to win didn't.

Canelo/Kirkland did make casual fans want to watch someone get KTFO in violent fashion. As a diehard boxing fan, is that the direction you want the sport to go?

[gamefrk]

Yes, I understand everyone is trying to get ratings. That said, the sport itself crumbles whenever skills are not emphasized.

I know casual fans like it when 2 low skilled fighters slug it out. It seems clear that fans turn into easy wins for big names. Is what it is but I think it hurts the sport long term.

The sport didn't need Canelo/Kirkland, it needed Manny to fight to win and ESPN to not have a hissy fit when the guy they wanted to win didn't.

Canelo/Kirkland did make casual fans want to watch someone get KTFO in violent fashion. As a diehard boxing fan, is that the direction you want the sport to go?

If you think that the sport of boxing needed Manny to win to be "saved" or something like that..you're saying that Mayweather needs to lose to save boxing? I don't agree with that at all. The sport will be alive & kicking for decades after Manny/Floyd retire.

Canelo-Kirkland was much needed IMO after May2, Kirkland isn't as good as Canelo is...but again he isn't as bad as Salka/the sales guys LSC faces etc. We cant have all the boxers in the sport to be highly skilled with super speed/power/skills...if it were like that then it would've been boxing utopia. It;s OK to match a skilled speedy+powerful guy to face a bit slow/very powerful guy as long as the latter isn't a nobody/part time boxer.

[zerosixthree]

The sport loses its integrity when winning is disincentivized and skills are devalued. Showtime is not doing that because they didn't have fighters signed to deals like Donaire and Manny that got embarrassed by great boxers.

I do agree with your post -the danny/salka fights hurt as much as kov/caparello and canelo/Kirkland-yet these fights get high ratings because a fan favorite is poised to get an easy KO win.

High ratings mean this is what they are giving us, especially HBO as they are trying to solidify their spot as the premier boxing network.

I'm not too sure if this is the problem or merely a sympton of a much bigger problem.

Did you know that the current world cup holder in football (or soccer if you prefer) is Germany? Just Germany. No other country holds a world cup. The other countries didn't take part in some other world cup because they knew they couldn't win the FIFA world cup which is a shame really because I think England would win a lot more if we only had to beat the USA and Moldovia. None of the teams get a say in who they play. None of the teams have exclusive deals that prevent them from playing other teams unless it's shown on the correct TV channel.

If boxing ever dies it won't be because promoters and networks prefer to show entertaining fights rather than competitive fights. It'll be because boxing is and forever has been poorly organised and increasingly balkanized.

[The Big Dunn]

If you think that the sport of boxing needed Manny to win to be "saved" or something like that..you're saying that Mayweather needs to lose to save boxing? I don't agree with that at all. The sport will be alive & kicking for decades after Manny/Floyd retire.

Canelo-Kirkland was much needed IMO after May2, Kirkland isn't as good as Canelo is...but again he isn't as bad as Salka/the sales guys LSC faces etc. We cant have all the boxers in the sport to be highly skilled with super speed/power/skills...if it were like that then it would've been boxing utopia. It;s OK to match a skilled speedy+powerful guy to face a bit slow/very powerful guy as long as the latter isn't a nobody/part time boxer.

I am not saying the sport needed to be saved in any way.

The sport would have benefitted from Manny fighting to win because winning is no longer what the sport is about and IMO that is killing the sport.

Winning should be rewarded, not disincentivized. Winning should get you TV opportunities and bigger purses, not the ability to "lose good". SKills should be emphasized, not be taken off TV in favor of mindless brawling.

See, you are making my case. Kirkland has a bigger name then the guys you mentioned, but has the same chance of winning, zero, as those guys. That's the problem.

WHy should a guy who hasn't been in the ring in 17 months get the purse and exposure of a Canelo fight when there are men who have been winning that would pose a much stronger challenge? We know why-because Canelo losing hurts long term profits.

I am not asking everyone to be the same-I am just suggesting skills make athletes/brawlers/tough guys better. Take Manny-had he learned how to cut off the ring then he wouldn't have kept eating hooks in the corner when he came in and maybe gave us a better fight. Instead, he essentially gave up round 1 out of frustration.

[The Big Dunn]

I'm not too sure if this is the problem or merely a sympton of a much bigger problem.

Did you know that the current world cup holder in football (or soccer if you prefer) is Germany? Just Germany. No other country holds a world cup. The other countries didn't take part in some other world cup because they knew they couldn't win the FIFA world cup which is a shame really because I think England would win a lot more if we only had to beat the USA and Moldovia. None of the teams get a say in who they play. None of the teams have exclusive deals that prevent them from playing other teams unless it's shown on the correct TV channel.

If boxing ever dies it won't be because promoters and networks prefer to show entertaining fights rather than competitive fights. It'll be because boxing is and forever has been poorly organised and increasingly balkanized.

I think you have a very strong point. Obviously if fighters just fought each other there wouldn't be a problem which network they are signed to.

The fight for ratings has contributed to fans not getting what they want. The multitude of belts has also made it difficult. We do need a way to remedy this.

[forget]

Boxing has had a ton of life this year.

[Joe Beamish]

The American heavyweight division is dead, but everything else is cool.

[gamefrk]

I am not saying the sport needed to be saved in any way.

The sport would have benefitted from Manny fighting to win because winning is no longer what the sport is about and IMO that is killing the sport.

Winning should be rewarded, not disincentivized. Winning should get you TV opportunities and bigger purses, not the ability to "lose good". SKills should be emphasized, not be taken off TV in favor of mindless brawling.

See, you are making my case. Kirkland has a bigger name then the guys you mentioned, but has the same chance of winning, zero, as those guys. That's the problem.

WHy should a guy who hasn't been in the ring in 17 months get the purse and exposure of a Canelo fight when there are men who have been winning that would pose a much stronger challenge? We know why-because Canelo losing hurts long term profits.

I am not asking everyone to be the same-I am just suggesting skills make athletes/brawlers/tough guys better. Take Manny-had he learned how to cut off the ring then he wouldn't have kept eating hooks in the corner when he came in and maybe gave us a better fight. Instead, he essentially gave up round 1 out of frustration.

Why do you feel that Manny didn't fight to win? He tried, he lost & is being a sore loser about it.

Here's a pic of the 154lbs division:

Andrade is skilled, but with Sho..so that's out for Canelo, Charlo's are also with Sho but not ready for a fight of this magnitude IMO, rest of the guys Canelo has already beat. Kirkland was a good pick for Canelo, even more so after May2, the better guys could have got Canelo...but blame it on the networks.

[Willy Wanker]

I hate these dumb ass threads.

If you think boxing is dead, you're not a real fan.