Is it just me or does boxing seem empty right now

[Shogunofharlem1]

Mayweather and Pacquiao carried boxing. Changed the game. It wasn't about being the best. The career path was to become a Mayweather or Pacquiao opponent to get that payday. The story line of the fight that never was, was the only time boxing hit the mainstream media. The story line dominated boxing headlines while in the meantime, none of these young fighters were getting any buzz.

Now your getting a taste of reality of what the sport really is for the other 99.99999% of fighters. The best fighters in the game can't get big fights because they are too risky. Mid-level eliminators need buildup. Promoters want to keep money in house. Prospects being micro managed.

This is the new era of boxing. Career management and slow marination.

My problem with the marination game is that it only worked because Mayweather and Pacquaio were already phenoms of the sport when people started clamoring for a fight between the two. Letting the fight marinate only fueled the fire and hype because they were both already proven. You cant marinate what isnt there to marinate. All these promoters are trying to hype up guys that barely have a single decent fight or name under their belt. Before the clamor mayweather was the guy that trashed corrales, gatti, hatton , etc while manny was the mexicutioner for a minute. Now you got kell brook with one decent fight, thurman with what gurrerro? Khan still trying to live off of five years ago, Danny the gift decision garcia, broner whose antics have kept him in the limelight more than his ability, rios is done, maidana likely has no fire.

WW needs a loud mouth who can back it up. Not a "uhh well you know I gotta talk with my promoter and trainer so we can figure out the lowest risk fight available" but a guy who names names and what he would do to them not caring about the politics.
HW at least looks like it will have a resurgence.

[Ham Porter]

I don't think boxing is in that bad of a state.
When was the last time there was so many interesting fights from Flyweight all the way up to Heavyweight? You can look at almost every single weight division from Flyweight to Heavyweight and there are so many intriguing match-ups.

The problem is that the fights are simply not happening.

So basically, boxing is in that bad of a state.

[Daddy T]

So I was thinking boxing just seems dead right now. I dont know if its cause Mayweather is gone and manny is fighting a fight no one wants to see but boxing just seems to be lifeless. Maybe its just because not much has been going on at all but it just dont seem good.

No fights are getting made nothing is happening hbo is refusing to work with certain promoters, pbc top rank and gbp dont do business together. The biggest star right now is probably canelo and ggg and now they avoiding each other. Ward is always about to fight and never does.

I dont know maybe im overthinking it but dont boxing just seem to be asleep at the wheel right now?

I don't think the problem is lack of talent i think the problem is the ducking culture has gone into over drive. Canelo is fighting at a made up weight to avoid GGG and the sanctioning body is fine with it. GGG himself is miles and miles better than anybody at middleweight so every possible fight there is a mismatch, with the few half decent guys ducking him (Canelo/Saunders). Ward barely fights at all anymore ... there is no outstanding guy at welter/jnr welter to really take charge down there. Rigo is boring as *** and can't get fights anyway.

2016 could be a great year if the big fights are made ... GGG v Canelo ... Ward v Kovalev etc, but I've lost faith that such fights will happen and instead we'll get a lot of 'marinating'.

[SalimShady1212]

I agree, ever since Matthysse lost I don't get the same buzz watching it. I still box myself but I sued to wake up for all the fights in the US (4am UK time) but I don't do too often anymore.

[KidDinamita]

Year just started, that's what happens with boxing for the first few months of the year.

[HI-TECH Boxing]

So basically, boxing is in that bad of a state.

Depends what aspect you're talking about. When I said it's not in that bad of a state I meant in terms of talent and potential match-ups, but in terms of fights not happening then yeah I would say it's in that bad of a state.

[MrRolltide91]

I don't get it, the year just started

[MrRolltide91]

maybe Kovalev-Ward, Roman-Estrada rematch, help me out here Seek...what else can 2016 offer us

Maybe wilder vs fury

[!! Shawn]

is that really pbcs stock?

It the stock price of PBC's primary backer.

They losing their asses. PBC isn't long for this world. Which will be good and bad.

Its going to take a few year of fighters sitting out demanding big paydays, before they realize they aren't going to be making that kind of money again.


PBC is basically killed boxing. Its spread it so thin over so many networks, its basically impossible for a casual fan to keep up with the fights. I try and watch all the fights, and I miss most of them, because they are poorly advertised, and never in the same place twice.

Its a terrible business models. I am sure they see it as exposure... But exposure is only good if the people you exposed can come back and see it again.

[!! Shawn]

boxing sucks right now...there's very little im lookin forward to so far

Its not so bad, it gives us more time to go back and watch the classics. Leonard vs Hagler, Hearns vs Leonard, Duran vs Leonard. Marquez vs Vazquez trilogy. Barrera vs Morales Triliogy. James Toney, Roy Jones.